Innocence
by ContraryMaryBee
Summary: An incident when she was young causes Uzumaki Narue's mind to revert to an even younger frame of thought. How will her home-town deal with a 5 year old's mind in a jounin strength body after a training trip? Fem!NaruShika. ADOPTED.
1. Chapter 1 The Attack

Hello!

This is my first fic so please review!

Enjoy!

-mayu

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Innocence

Chapter One

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_Eyes always stared from everyone, from everyplace. They are always there you see; even when you try to run they follow. It's because they're afraid, afraid of me. Uzumaki Narue, Container for Kyuubi no yokoi. The thing is they can't understand the CONTAINER part. So everyday I'm in pain. Everyday I wait for someone to save me, to notice what is happening. Nobody does, no matter how hard I try to get them to notice, they do not. It's all because of the Jinchuuriki name; I was a Human Sacrifice, nothing more. At least not until that day, that day that it all changed._

'I wonder what Ojii-san wants.' Narue thought as she wandered down the middle of the street towards the towering pillar that is the Hokage tower. Avoiding all the people easily, the 6 year old child sped up at the thought of seeing her favorite person. She did notice though, all the glares and growls she had always gotten were becoming more venomous and hated.

The villagers were pausing in the street watching her walk, like vultures on the prowl. Becoming slightly apprehensive, Narue quickened to a jog and then a full blown out run. The villagers threw all things they could get their hands on; a broken bottle nipped the young girl's cheek, leaving a faint red line.

Tears were streaming as shouts and cries came from behind her, following in anger and hatred. Taking a wrong turn, the girl ended in an alley, blocking her from the street was a wall of angry villagers and shinobi, armed and dangerous to a 6 year old child. Tears blurred her vision of the mob,making them seem like they were underwater, and frightened breathing ripped into and out her chest.

One man started it all, walking forward with a block of wood in his hand, his face split in a cruel smile, revealing his crooked teeth. "Time to play demon brat!" He ran forward, and the screams of the small girl went unheeded by the Anbu squad sent to watch her. They watched from the roof above the alleyway, making to move to do their job.

Walking down the street, the white haired old man whistled a merry tune. Just recently he had caught a peeping masterpiece in one of the village's onsens. A group of young, beautiful women decided to go to the hot springs all together at once.

Jiraiya's pen had gone on a rampage in his research notebook, and many of the women confessed to hearing strange, girl-like giggling on the other side of the onsen wall.

Catching sight of a gathering crowd around a rather random alley opening, he grew curious and started toward it. It did not take too long before the Sannin was in hearing range, and what he heard made his brow furrow in confusion and apprehension.

"Die you demon!"

"Go back to hell where you belong!"

"This is for taking my father's life!"

Such yells and worse were thrown into the sky, yelled in anger and hate. Roughly pushing his way to the front, Jiraiya nearly gagged at the sight before him.

A girl no less that 7 was laying in the middle of the mob, arms trying to feebly cover her head. Two large men were holding her torso down as another knelt over her. The others around them were throwing many different objects, all of which were sharp and all of which hit their destination, the girl.

Blood seeped from wounds all over her body, bruises, welts, slices and other such things made her face unrecognizable. Her limbs were mangled and seemed broken in many places. Her hair had either been chopped off or pulled out, for it was matted with blood and uneven in length. Her life-fluid poured over the dirt of the road, it sickened him to no end, and he had never seen so much blood coming from one person.

The thing that shook Jiraiya the most was that her eyes were open and alert. She had been awake through this torture and now was watching behind tears, as a stranger, whose face showed her only anger, hate and sadistic happiness at her suffering, raped her, and spit curses into her face.

Jiraiya felt his insides curl and cringe at every new injury the girl sustained; at every bloodcurdling scream that erupted from her mouth. A feeling that Jiraiya had not felt since the Kyuubi attack began to swell and grow inside his chest. Blue chakra could be seen swirling around him, and his long white hair bristled with the energy.

Appearing beside the men holding her down, he only allowed them to see his raging face before they never saw again. The crowd slowly quieted as they noticed the old man crouching over the girl, tenderly picking her up in his arms, and holding her still against his chest. He was turned away from the mob, and his shoulders shook.

A few of the shinobi in the crowd recognized him and in hushed whispers informed the rest. Standing, Jiraiya tried to control his shaking body. He resisted the urge to turn around and decapitate all of their ugly heads. It would not bode well for him if he started killing the villagers, no matter how much he wanted to.

"Jiraiya-sama! Have you come to kill the demon?" an anonymous voice called out from within the crowd. Apparently that's what made him break. Letting all his chakra reserves go, Jiraiya allowed his chakra to go AWOL on the mob. It flattened them all onto their backs, causing most to soil themselves at the pure level of killer intent and anger embedded in it.

Panting slightly when it had died down, Jiraiya quickly hopped to the rooftops, making his way to the hospital in angry sannin fashion. As in he blasted any barriers in his way, such as fences, clothes lines, walls, and leaving craters where he sets his feet down.

I'm sure you can gather at least one bit of info from that, basically:

…Jiraiya was pissed.

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OKAY!!

Thank you for reading this, and I promise it gets better.

R&R!

-mayu


	2. Chapter 2 The Hokage Is In

I'm Still getting used to this whole writing thing so don't be too hard on me.

Forgot to say this before: Disclaimer: I Do Not Own Naruto. (cries in a corner.)

Thanks a ton to those who read and review, I'll never get tired of those.

Innocence

Sarutobi was battling one of his most fierce enemies, Paperwork. Piles and piles of it were surrounding him on and off his desk. The aging man could barely complete a stack before another was brought in. Cursing under his breath, the Sandaime watched through glowering eyes as one of his assistants brought in another pile.

Hearing a commotion outside his door, Sarutobi leaped at the chance to flee from the battle field. Quickly, he donned his hat and straightened his shoulders before marching regally out of the room. The sight that met him made his brows furrow. A rather angry student of his was arguing loudly with his Anbu guards, yelling about something important that the Hokage had to be told of.

The Anbu countered with "Hokage-sama is in an important briefing and he cannot be disturbed." Sarutobi barely held back a snort and intervened before Jiraiya could become violent. "What is all his commotion?" His sentence brought the attention of both arguing parties.

"Sensei, I have a bone to pick with you!" Jiraiya growled, glaring dangerously at him. "What is that Jiraiya?" Sandaime's tone was light-hearted, and carefree, he had just gotten away from a lifetime of paperwork, if only for a few minute.

"I just found a child being beaten, raped, and near death because of a mob of villagers attacking her." Blood drained from Sarutobi's face; he knew exactly who it was.

"Take me to her!"

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Inside a small white room, Narue was lying on a white bed surrounded by doctors and a surgeon who was neatly doing his job.

The Hokage and a Sannin were viewing the operation through a window, and were shocked at how much blood came from the small girl.

"Sensei, she can't stay here. I am not going to allow her to live in a village where she is beaten every day. I'm taking her with me for training; nothing you can say will change that." Jiraiya spoke in a low undertone. Sarutobi breathed a deep, tired sigh. "I suspected as much. You would want to care for your student's child, but can you handle taking care of a girl?"

Jiraiya stayed silent for a moment before replying, "I'll look for Tsunade, I'm sure she'll help." Sarutobi simply nodded and resumed watching one of his most precious people hanging onto her life by a thread.

It was some hours later that the surgeon walked out of the room with a tired sigh, pulling off his mask and undoing his chakra scalpels. He slumped over to Sarutobi, running a hand through his hair.

"Hokage-sama, I have a lot of news, would you like the full report or the most important parts?" Sandaime nodded to the latter, and the man started speaking.

"Well, when she was first brought in, it looks like a normal beating, plus rape. Once we got the diagnosis finished however, it spoke of a lot else. There were multiple knife wounds and slices all across her body, burns and scabs imply Katon Jutsus. There is a large amount of anal wreckage but that will heal in time. All four limbs have broken bones and fractures. Her face was only covered in bruises and cuts not much else. There seems no scalp damages from what we can tell, and I have just surgically removed many different objects from her flesh, including broken glass, metal, ETC. What worries me most however is that she was objected to a direct Jutsu that affected her brain. From what I can tell, her brain activity is now that of a 5 year old's, barely able to comprehend most things. I doubt that she will ever recover from this, but she will have to relearn such things as talking, writing, and etcetera. She should not be taken out of critical care for about 3 months without risking further injury."

The man took a deep breath after his long winded explanation, and sat down in a chair near them, obviously exhausted from his over-night operation.

"You are relieved, go get some sleep." Sarutobi told him softly, the man smiled in appreciation and left sensei and student alone.

It was silent as both men thought on this new event. "Will you keep me updated on her training?" Sarutobi sadly said. "Of course, I would have anyway. I'm going to take her the minute she's out of the hospital."

Sandaime nodded before straightening, stepping out of the room Sarutobi braced himself for the next obstacle to go through, the council. Gesturing for an Anbu to follow him, Sarutobi gave strict and short orders for said Anbu to assemble the entire council.

Once back in his office, Sarutobi donned his most ceremonial robes and hat with a grim face.

It was time the council was brought up for their actions; after all, he _was _the Hokage.

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The council room was buzzing; such a gathering had not been called since after the Kyuubi attack. Several of the clan heads sat stiffly, back straight head high and talking to nobody. Other heads were enjoying themselves by talking to old friends, Such as the elder Ino-Shika-Cho group.

The door banged open and in marched a scowling Sandaime, effectively extinguishing any sound. Most of the members gulped at the angry face of their leader, slightly apprehensive of what was to come.

Sarutobi stood at his pedestal watching them for a second before he started speaking in a quiet controlled voice that filled the room. "Can anyone tell me why it is alright to allow the brutal beatings on a young girl every day in this village?" the council room was silent; most there were wondering why the Hokage had asked such a morbid question.

"I believe that is a crime worthy of punishment, do you agree?" Some members gave hesitant nods that only incurred the wrath of a full blown Hokage glare.

Sarutobi stopped controlling his voice and allowed the anger he was feeling to seep into it. "Then tell me WHY it happens to Uzumaki Narue every single day?" Several people flinched when he raised his voice, and shivered when he lowered it to a deathly level.

Sarutobi continued, growing louder, "On this day, Narue was simply walking to my summons when she was chased and cornered by a mob of KONOHA citizens and SHINOBI who know better. She was brutally beaten and raped within an INCH of her life in the space of only 2 hours. It was only the timely intervention of my student Jiraiya,"

The raging man gestured to the back of the room, they all followed his direction and out stepped Jiraiya, his face twisted in a furious scowl, "that saved her life." Sarutobi launched himself in a tirade, describing the poor girl's injuries and how she came by them. Many civilian council members turned a bit green at the gory remarks, the shinobi clan heads took disgusted expressions at the thought of this being done to a 6 year old child.

"This event contributed greatly to my next decision regarding young Uzumaki Narue," the Sandaime's voice had lost most of his anger and now was riddled with a commanding finalism, "At the time she can leave the Konoha hospital, Narue will be leaving on a 6 year training trip accompanied by the Sannin Jiraiya, and eventually, the Sannin Tsunade. My decision is final. You are dismissed."

The Hokage swept out of the room in strong, assertive steps, each footfall a reminder to the council, that they had been thoroughly lectured by the _Hokage of Konoha, _not the crotchety old man they had begun to think he was.

Once back in his office, Sarutobi was relieved to see the paperwork removed from it and a teapot hot and ready on his desk. Collapsing into his desk, he sighed heavily. "Didn't think you had it in ya old-man." Jiraiya's call came from the window, which he had just crawled through.

"Yes, but now it's time to discuss Narue's training. Sake or tea?"


	3. Chapter 3 Waking Up

YAY

You must all remember that I LOVE to get reviews, so always click that little purple button okay?

The pairing may have to come to a poll further into the story…once I figure out how to work it of course. ;P

Although, I _am _leaning towards a ShikaxNarue…it's my all time favorite……romantic or friendship, they'll be interacting but I remind you, it may come to a poll.

Narue will forget all the bad things at the _beginning_ but will regain some of her memory and brain activities later on.

mayu ;P ENJOY!

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Innocence

Chapter Three

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It was that never faltering beeping that woke her. The steady rhythm beeping its way into her mind, making it so she could do nothing else but listen to it. It was hard to open her eyes and she frowned, they were supposed to open! Finally able to open her eyes she shut them quickly; it was just too bright outside.

Giving out a small whimper, Narue tentatively blinked her eyes open, slowly getting used to the light. She felt rather than heard a rustling nearby and set to the task of figuring out what it was. Craning her head to the side, she noticed a man beside her, sitting on the chair placed there. Every now and then, his head would fall forward slightly and then tilt back again.

Finding this funny, Narue let out a soft giggle, which notified the older man in the chair to her awareness. He immediately stood up and leaned over her. Becoming slightly intimidated by the fast movements, Narue gave a cut off cry and shrank away from him. He immediately froze and lowered himself back into the chair.

Narue took a time to look over his face, wrinkles and age spots told her he was really old. Something in his warm brown (AN: I have no idea what color Sandaime's eyes are) eyes told her he was a good person so she relaxed and tremblingly sat up, turning only slightly to smile largely at him.

He also relaxed and offered a kind smile back. Looking around at her surroundings, Narue noticed that it was rather blank. White sheets, white walls, white chairs; the only color was shining through the window. The evening sun flickered over the bed and reflected into the shimmering blue eyes of the only occupant.

Hearing the door slide open softly, Narue looked up curiously. In the doorway stood Jiraiya in all his ugly glory, white bushy hair behind him, Green and red Christmas colors, and his wrinkled face.

His dark eyes widened when he noticed Narue sitting up and watching him slightly apprehensive. Taking a few steps into the room, the sannin was careful to be slow and mindful steps, knowing just what it was like to wake up from a coma. (AN: Tsunade bashed his head in when they were younger, in a coma for 2 days.)

Narue watched with large watchful eyes as the big man entered her room. Was he here to help, or hurt her? Being indecisive she settled for trying to detect any bad-intent coming from him.

The big man murmured something to the old man, and leant against the far wall, scrutinizing the young girl on the bed. She fidgeted under his gaze a while before the oldest in the room spoke; the sound was directed at her so she guessed she was supposed to respond in the same way.

Raising a hand she whispered out, in a scratchy voice "eyyee" not perfect but Narue smiled anyway at her success. The two men glanced at one another, before Jiraiya stepped away from the wall and moved closer. Since she was used to his presence by now Narue was all for it.

Jiraiya pointed to himself and said "Ji-rai-ya." Then motioned her to repeat, Narue did her best and ended up with "jee-ro-ya." "Jiraiya." "Jee-ro-ya." the man's eye twitched and sighed defeated, "Daddy." He pointed once again, hoping she would understand.

The little girl's eyebrows drew down as she tested the word out slowly. "Daaaady, Daaddy, Daddy!" She beamed up at the man, proud at this accomplishment. Sarutobi had an amused smirk on his face, "daddy?" he asked in a mild tone, his student turned to glower at him and then faced the girl again.

Gaining a sly smirk on his own face, Jiraiya pointed to the left, at the Hokage, "Old man." "Old man!" The repeat was immediate from the tiny child, as if she had practiced. Snickering, Jiraiya stood back up and said to the old man, "Another 2 weeks until she's out right?" Sarutobi nodded.

Hearing a sound from the bed they caught sight of a yawning Narue, her mouth opened so wide it covered half her face. They both chuckled at the cute sight and moved to both sides of the bed. The sannin grabbed the kid and set her under the sheet; the Hokage tucked the sheet up to the girl's neck and kissed her forehead. Jiraiya messed her hair before leaving through the door.

After the light had been turned off, and the door slid shut, Narue wiggled her way further into the comforting warmth of the bed. It was a strange feeling that filled her, one she couldn't name. She only knew that being tucked in was nice, and wanted to be tucked in more.

At the gate stood the village leader and protector, the Sandaime Hokage, currently tapping his foot rather impatiently. Crossly looking down the street searching for any sign of his most troublesome student and his charge; he had been standing there for a little over the hour and the guards were beginning to feel rather awkward in the presence of the most powerful man in the village.

Finally catching sight of the scummy sannin, Sandaime bit back a growl in favor of the little blonde girl perched on his shoulders, staring around in awe at the hustle and bustle of the konoha streets. Miraculously she didn't notice the glares or mutters sent her way.

"You will return her in 5 years correct?" the Sandaime asked Jiraiya, who nodded in response, "Me an' Tsunade will take good care of her Sarutobi, don't worry." The old man sighed and rubbed his face answering, "You know I will anyways."

"Bye-Bye! Old man!" the cheery voice from above made him smile, "Thank you Narue, You be careful okay? Listen to your daddy."

As he watched the two leave his village, Sarutobi could only feel as if a grandchild of his was leaving on a dangerous journey and may not come home, chuckled mirthlessly when he found it to be the truth.

"You take care now Narue, you have to return and take this job from me, just as you promised."

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Anything confusing in this and I'll fix…you only have to click that little purple button that says Go. .


	4. Chapter 4 The Academy

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

If anyone wants to know, Narue is wearing a short orange skirt with black shorts underneath. On top is a black vest-like shirt that had a zipper running down on side. On her hands she had hand gaurds with metal plates on the knuckles. Black ninja sandals on her feet, two blonde pony-tails.

I love you all for clicking my fic. heart

-Mayu ;P

Innocence

Mindless humming strummed in his ear, and Jiraiya barely kept hold on his sanity. His eyebrow was twitching in a convulsing seizure. He could just _feel _the amusement and the stifled giggles from his former teammate, Tsunade. Walking along the path in bright daylight, with a 12 year old blonde on his shoulder, _braiding _his hair while humming an upbeat tone, was now officially NOT his favorite thing to do.

Narue was balanced precariously on his shoulder, her hands busy in the intricate task of hair-weaving. Absent-mindedly humming a tune while she unknowingly put one of the Sannin under a terrible torture called Embarrassment.

As the gate of Konoha rose up ahead, Narue abandoned her current activities to gape and point excitingly at it. "Mommy, Daddy! Look! Is that home?" Tsunade smiled at her surrogate daughter, "Yes sweetheart it is." The buxom blonde was forced to change a laugh into a sudden coughing fit as she caught Jiraiya feverishly unbraiding his hair, muttering obscene words in the process.

Jiraiya threw her a scowl and proceeded to march towards the gate. During the time it took them to reach the massive gates, a guard was already waiting at the entrance to welcome them. Both Sannin were well known and revered in konoha, and were allowed anything they pleased.

The trip through the village was slow, as it was a Sunday and shopping day for most civilians. Upon reaching the Hokage tower, the three were easily let in by the Anbu guards and were allowed to stride right into the Hokage's office un-challenged.

Apparently they walked in at the wrong time, the aging Hokage was leering into hi crystal ball, a small spurt of blood ran down from his nose and dripped onto his desk. The three could barely make-out the image in his little peeping screen, the village onsen, _women's _side.

An angry vein bulged in Tsunade's forehead as she hastened to cover the curious Narue's eyes. Only when the Sandaime had noticed them and quick as the Yellow Flash himself, hid his peeper and wiped the blood from his face, did she let go.

Stomping over to her former sensei, the insanely strong woman brought her fist down on top of his head, "ERO-SENSEI!"

A few minutes later, they had all settled down and sat in their own seat. Narue sat dangling her legs over the edge of the chair and watching the clouds float by the large window, idly stroking her long blonde hair. For an 11 year old she was quite short; standing at only around the 8 year old's average height, she was deemed not a threat by many shinobi and citizens alike.

Being so small and having an adorable face can come in handy at times though. On many occasions the clever little blonde would pull an innocent puppy look and would receive sweets in return.

Hearing her name among the adults, Narue twisted her head and looked at them, all watching her. She crossed her arms and pouted cutely saying, "Don't stare at me!"

"Narue-chan, are you ready to go to the academy now?" smiling widely at her mother, said girl nodded her head hard and got chuckles in return. Jiraiya stood, "well, how about we get you there, can't have you being late on your first day eh squirt?"

The girl took her father's offered hand and only called when they were out the door, "bye-bye mommy, Bye-bye old man!" and then she was gone. Blonde hair flying and blue eyes sparkling at the though of new friends, leaving behind a smiling Hokage and grinning Sannin.

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The classroom was buzzing, Iruka-sensei had announced that there would be a new student coming and that they had to behave……the kids stopped listening there and began to whisper amongst themselves about this 'New kid'

"I wonder if it's a girl or boy"

"They're not going to take my Sasuke-kun away from me uh-uh."

"How troublesome."

"Bzzzzzzz" (AN: lol sorry I just had to do that for Shino!")

"munchmunch"

"…thinking emo thoughts."

"Quiet down now! She's here!" that particular announcement from Iruka sent the kids into another bout of whispering.

"It's a girl!"

All talking ceased when the door opened and in walked a burly man. He paused in the doorway to scrutinize them all with a stony face before leading someone into the room. It was silent as the blonde fidgeted under the stairs, her shoulders slumped and she scratched a leg with the other. Iruka spoke to the man, "Jiraiya-sama! Is this the girl?"

Some of the smarter kids in the class knew Jiraiya from the textbooks and quickly studied him, an opportunity to see a legend up close was not something to miss.

"Yes this is Narue. Now, I'm leaving," he started towards the door and paused a moment to look back, "don't injure them too much now Narue-chan!" and he was gone.

Narue turned towards the teacher, "um…sen-sensei? Where I sit?" she asked him quietly, Iruka had to strain to hear the words. Beside a spiky brunette at the back on the isle seat, Narue hurried to her spot.

Once she was ready, Iruka started a lecture on kunai and their uses, the exact same lecture as yesterday. Already knowing all this, Narue took a look at the boy beside her. Brown spiky hair pulled into a pony-tail sprung out like a pineapple, and Narue had to resist the urge to touch it. His head was on his arms, and face staring to the front, boredom oozing from every pore.

Eventually the boy noticed her observing him and spoke to her quietly, whispering to not get caught by the sharp ears of the teacher.

"My name is Shikamaru, troublesome to meet you." Narue giggled at the way he drawled his greeting and answered just as quietly, "I'm Narue, Shika..ma..maru." Obviously, the smart boy noticed her trouble with his name but decided not to ask for now, he just wanted to sleep. Grunting he laid his head on his desk, and soon enough, she was snoring.

The rest of the day ended up uneventful, but Narue enjoyed every minute of it. She met another boy named Chouji, and another named Kiba. She didn't really like Kiba though, he smelled too much like dog-breath. A bell rang, signaling the end of the day and everyone filed out of the academy.

Narue marveled at the amount of kids filling the yard being picked up by their parents. Catching sight of a familiar blonde head, Narue ran to her mom and launched her into a hug. Narue started to tell her about all the cool people and things she saw and met on her first day but was silenced in the middle by the woman putting a finger over her lips.

"Calm down child, you can tell me and your father when we get home." Narue's shining blue eyes widened as she walked beside her mother looking up at the beautiful woman, "We have a home now mommy?" Seeing her nod, Narue jumped in joy and hugged her again laughing.

The two left the grounds hand in hand, leaving behind gawking spectators thinking, _'Tsunade-sama has a _kid_?' _

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yawwwn...well im going to sleep. dont foget to R&R please!


	5. Chapter 5 New Brothers

To clear up something I'm saying this now, Narue is 11 years old, she went on the training trip when she was 6 for 5 years, and unless I'm a complete dolt, that equals 11. There is one year left for the students to stay at the academy. Does that clear some things up?

-Mayu ;p

Chappy 5

Innocence

Waiting for class to begin, Narue sat at her desk doodling in her notebook with the new crayons Sarutobi had given her last night. Shikamaru slept easily beside her, or so it seemed. Instead he was observing her, taking mental notes on different things. How she held her head, held her crayon, tongue stuck out in concentration.

Shikamaru's genius mind came up with several conclusions. _'1. she's a really good actress, 2. brain damage and 3. she's a complete and utter idiot.' _Deciding to continue with observation, he asked her a question, "Hey, Narue, when did you get back to Konoha? How long were you gone?"

Looking up when she found she was being spoken to she answered,

"Yesterday we had to walk a very long way, all the way from the place with all the rocks and it was so cool Shika-kun! We passed a HUGE lake and mommy let me swim in it for an hour! I left when I was very young, after a very bad bad thing happened that daddy saved me from!"

Throughout her story, Narue had been illustrating with her hands and arms and attracted attention from the other two boys she had met yesterday, what were their names? Kibo and Cougi? Well, anyways she was telling her friends about her life and they were listening!

When she reached her last words, the blonde girl's face had fell and looked slightly lonely. Shikamaru acting on an impulse reached out and patted her on the head a few times, kindly saying, "That was a great story Narue, I hope you have other stories to tell us later?"

Feeling the friendly hand on top of her head, and the gentle words made Narue smile softly and truly. She nodded to confirm her answer and was about to speak before another voice interrupted her.

"So, the little dobe is making friends, figures it's the other dobes too." Sneered a raven haired pale boy, hands in his cream shorts, the boy's posture literally screamed pompousness. Kiba and Shikamaru grimaced, and the pleasantly plump Chouji cast his eyes to the floor. Narue reached over and took his hand patting it comfortingly.

When Chouji felt the small hand on his he looked up at the child-like girl and squeezed his hand in appreciation. He still didn't like anybody putting down his friends and himself, and felt hurt when it happened.

"Watch what your saying Sasuke." Growled the Inuzuka boy standing up to face him, Sasuke straightened himself as well and glared into the dog-boy's face.

"What are you going to do about it baka-inu?" retorted the Uchiha, Kiba growled when from behind spoke a unusually hard tone coming from the usually lazy voice of Shikamaru

"Sasuke, leave we don't want any trouble." The spiky-haired boys brown eyes glinted.

Sensing impending danger, Narue ran in front of Kiba, setting her back against him to hold him back. Staring into the dark-eyed avengers eyes he told him simply,

"You feel bad and I don't like you, please leave." gawking at her request Sasuke snorted and walked away arrogantly, leaving behind his final words,

"Trash should stay in the garbage where it belongs, deadlasts." Stalking silently to his seat near the front, the last (sane) Uchiha sat and ignored any attempt at conversation issued by his fangirls.

Watching him walk away Narue narrowed her cerulean eyes at his back, there was something wrong with that boy, and she felt it.

"Why'd you stop us Narue! We could've taken that bastard!" Kiba snarled, clenching his fists, lifting her head to study his fuming face,

"Fighting is only necessary when you need to protect someone you hold precious." her almost rehearsed reply quieting the angry boy and sent him to his desk muttering loud enough to be heard.

"You are precious." A smile blossomed on the blonde's face lighting up the entire room.

From then on, Kiba, Shikamaru and Chouji had assumed the roles of Narue's older brother's and the tiny girl couldn't be happier. Every time she came to school, the three would help her with her studies, skills and anything else. During the day, the girl would sit at the back with Shikamaru on one side, Kiba and Chouji on the other and work her hardest on things she understood, and asked for help with those she couldn't.

Sasuke would never failing, insult her at every chance and every time she would ask him calmly and politely to leave, it had become such a common occurrence that Sasuke's fangirls had picked up the trend, and Narue had become half the classes enemy, not including sweet little Hinata, who blushed every time she looked at Kiba. (AN: ;p)

At about a third of the way through the year, there was an incident that involved Narue, Sasuke's fangirls and the one of the three Sannin.

_Flashback_

_Skipping away from the school, Narue smiled brightly and innocently, not paying attention to her surroundings; the streets were unusually crowded with many different females, all glaring at her, trying their best to drill holes in her head. _

_Suddenly, her path was blocked by a fat pink rhino! (Just kidding!) It was only Sakura. "Hello, Sakura-chan!" Narue was always amazingly polite to everyone she met, even those who were rather nasty to her._

"_Shut-up, you blonde baka! We would like to talk to you!" other girls appeared around her, circling the little one in the middle._

"_Of cour-"Narue was cut off with a cold, impatient tone of voice from another pale-blonde, Ino, "No more pleasantries, lets just teach her a lesson, to not deny our Sasuke-kun what he deserves!" the girls gave a collected yell before surging forward, claws-I mean fingernails at the ready._

_A gust of wind flung up their hair and they stopped short, attempting to correct it. Searching where Narue was supposed to be, they found a large man, long white spiky hair fell down his back and his black eyes glared at them. On his shoulder perched Narue, waving down at them. Trembling in their designer footsies, the girls seemed terrified. Most of them were smart students so they knew who this was, Jiraya, One of the Sannin, Teacher of the Fourth, a legend._

"_What do you think your doing with my daughter?" the quiet, deadly voice creeped them out, and as a pack, they squealed in fright and scattered. Hiding under carts and in holes, their evil red eyes glistened from their dark hiding places._

"_Thank you daddy," Narue cheeped gratefully, "those bullies would have got me if you weren't here!" Jiraiya laughed and said victoriously,_

"_Those are no problem sweetheart, just wait until you see me chasing away suitors!" the two laughed together and walked away into the setting sun._

_Flashback end_

Life moved on after that, and you readers will have to wait until the next chapter to continue!

Pcce out!


	6. Chapter 6 Fighting Memories

Thank you all so much for the reviews!

-Mayu

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Innocence

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It had been a while since the fangirls attacked, and Narue had moved up in school. Becoming better in school issues from the tutoring of her brothers, and parents, Narue was now on par with Sakura in smarts, that fact of course chafed the pink-rhino's pride greatly.

Currently the students were participating in the half year evaluation. Well, that's what the teachers call it; the kids call it the mid-term kill you test. As it was made for chuunin levels, full of hard physical tests and long, 100 question tests that had answers the teacher didn't even know.

At this moment, Iruka's class was outside, competing in the last test which included sparring against each other so the teachers could rate them on their skills.

It just so happens that Narue was next, and she was against…..Sasuke. (AN: how convenient.) Said boy smirked when he heard his name called and then shot Narue a nasty, arrogant look filled with contempt and confidence. Narue was simply anticipating the fight and was eager to show her skills.

As of yet, she had not had the chance to demonstrate that of which her parents taught her, and had squirmed for the chance.

The two competitors stood across from each other with Iruka beside them, hand up to start the match. Sasuke glared across him to the expectant girl, and as soon as the shout came from his teacher, her leapt.

"Hajime!"

Sasuke was up in Narue's face in an instant, bringing a sweeping kick towards her head. Narue ducked and retaliated by flipping and barley missing the boy's chest with her feet.

Sasuke jumped away from the smiling girl and clenched his teeth, she was quick he admitted grudgingly.

This time it was Narue who attacked, bringing her fist up to her ear she threw a punch at the ground between her feet. Several people screamed when the earth cracked with a rumbling groan, a crack ran like lightning towards the ice prince.

Diving out of the way, Sasuke bruised his arm as he dodged each punch; the blonde girl threw herself at him, and he hardly had the time to dodge one way when he had to dodge the other way.

Finally a fist hit his shoulder and sent him flying into a nearby tree, Sasuke cried out in pain as he felt his head collide with the trunk. Narue was humming to herself as she watching him slide down the trunk and land on the ground, clearly unconscious.

The ground was silent, as the crowd of students and teacher's gaped at the triumphant girl. This not-even-genin girl had just shown a skill that only Tsunade the Sannin is said to master. Applying chakra to a part of her body and releasing a gust of it at exactly the right point when an attack connected. A low jounin level chakra control skill, mastered by this…._academy student, _unheard of.

Not to mention she had beat out the top student in less than 2 minutes.

The horrified screams of the fangirls echoed around the place as the stampeded to get to Sasuke. Hearing cheering over to the side, Narue grinned at the whooping Kiba and clapping Shikamaru. She was about to walk over when, her peripheral vision picked up a movement and flash of steel on her right.

Dodging low, her attacker tripped over her body, and fell right over her. Narue grabbed the man's vest and pulled herself over her him, a chakra filled fist propped ready to fire into the man's skull. Recognizing the silver hair of Mizuki-sensei, Narue hesitated for a second, leaving herself open.

Mizuki took advantage of this and walloped the girl on the side of her head, sending her crashing to the ground on the side of him. Quickly he rolled on top of her, and started beating her, ignoring the cries and attempts at getting him off.

Beneath the punches, Narue felt something crawl up the back of her neck, and enter her brain. Fear, because a memory flashed through her vision, engulfing her in it's mental remembrance.

---------

_Flashback._

_**---------**_

_Groaning, an 8 year old Narue shook her head and fought to sit up. Her mommy and she had just been sparring lightly when the blonde youngster had caught a movement in the shadows of the bushes._

_Since her attention was away from the fight, Narue didn't notice Tsunade's fist until it had already smashed into her head. Darkness crept from around her eyes and she last she the worried face of her mommy shouting down at her._

_Noticing she was wet, Narue saw that the ground was swamped in murky water. She also noticed that it was very cold. Looking around, Narue acknowledged that she was in a tunnel, no a sewer. Having an ugly yellow tint, shadows_ flitte_d from an unknown light source across the walls and pipes, ran in every direction cross the ceiling._

_Peering into one end of the hall, it was pitching black, but Narue could make out a pulsing red glow. Stepping toward it, Narue shivered from both the cold of the water, and this unknown feeling the glow gave to her._

_A mix between revolting nausea and trembling anxiety, Narue knew that the glow was bad, and she needed to get out. A deafening roar sounded around the tunnel, and Narue felt tears building as her breath shortened. The sound was just so evil, so angry. _

_Trying to move the other way, Narue found her feet bolted to the ground. Against her will her feet lifted up and shaking, stepped forward, leading her down the hallway._

_Fighting against her out muscles, Narue shook in effort and terror as she drew closer to the glow; it was shining around a corner and Narue saw rattling ripples in the water, flowing away from the opening._

_Her possessed feet brought her into the dark glow, blanketing her eyes for a second. When they cleared, she was standing in a tall room with dripping pipes making small plopping sounds when the liquid hit the water on the floor._

_In front of her there was a GIANT gate with kanji scrawling up the sides, in the middle, was a scroll sheet, with the kanji "Prison"(AN: I don't know what it really says, someone help!) on it._

_Rumbling came from deep in the cage, red, slitted orbs opened and pinned the frightened girl's heart to her throat. The thing in the cage spoke, and the voice sent fear through her boots up to her heart, where it clenched tightly._

"_**What is this, the pathetic little human has come for a visit, how lucky." **__Narue could feel the sneering grin behind it. The creature moved forwards towards the bars that looked so puny in comparison._

_Narue had known of this beast her whole life, it was a favorite gossip topic among Konoha people, at least when she wasn't around, otherwise she just gets mean words and glares._

"_**Kyuubi no Kitsune."**_

**_--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_**

The end! (phsyc!) just kidding, just a cliffy.

I love you all!

(pssst, click the go button.)


	7. Chapter 7 Breakdown

YAY! Other ShikaNaru lovers! Lets all do the shika shake! ;P I love you very much right now Necromancygirl96!!!!!

I am quite content with the number of reviews I've been receiving about my work. I'm happy you all like it and I WILL keep writing, (unless I suddenly die, or my computer dies, either one .) no matter what!

Mizuki jumped out from the crowd that was watching, and everyone was shocked so they didn't move, Narue's flashback took about 5 seconds to come and pass.

-Mayu

Disclaimer: I Do Not Own Naruto, otherwise Sakura would be a rhino, and Sasuke would be gay.

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Innocence

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"_**Kyuubi no Kitsune"**_

_He sounded amused as Kyuubi watched the young girl flinch just at the sound of his name. It amused him greatly that these pitiful things were so fearful of him, and he felt proud, that he could give that kind of feeling in the peoples of the earth._

"_**Tell me weakling, why have you come here?" **__Kyuubi asked menacingly, fangs glistening against the low reflected light. Narue could barely stand let alone speak as she took in the gigantic monster in front of her._

"_**Answer me human!"**__ he began to get annoyed, he wasn't that scary was he? Oh right, he was._

_Narue squeaked and fell to her knees, curling up in a little ball and roughly shaking hr head from side to side, muttering "This isn't happening, this isn't happening."_

"_**But it is, weakling, now look at me, stare into my eyes." **__Kyuubi brought his face (muzzle?) closer to the bars, willing her to look up and gazed down on little Narue and she opened her eyes again against her will._

_Gasping in pain, Narue clutched her head, images surfaced and stung, memories of being in Konoha, the beatings, the spiteful words, the glares, and the hate pierced her._

_Then she was under those men again, feeling the pain in her skin, as they raped her. Feeling every bruise, cut, and welt, aware of every drop of blood on my skin, the smells of the men, their ugly breath, their vengeful and hate filled eyes._

"_**They hate you human, and want to kill you; there is nobody who loves you. That old man was a lie, your parents aren't even your parents, and they took you in on an order. You could be killed and no one could care. You're nothing, just a piece of trash." **__Kyuubi's biting words drilled into her brain and Narue shook in the effort to get them out._

"_No no no no No NO NO NO!" her scream echoed and she heaved after, glaring at the beast. Kyuubi was somewhat taken aback at her vehemence._

_When Narue started fading, Kyuubi smirked, "__**looks like that lying mother of yours has healed you, but remember, you are hated, and that will NEVER CHANGE!" **__he roared._

_Narue bolted up from the ground and burst into tears._

_Flashback end_

A mighty heave and Narue had buried her fist into Mizuki's face, making him fly back and land across a tree. There was a loud resonating _crack _as they all heard his back crack.

Narue looked the most angry anyone had ever seen the always smiling girl. Heaving breath, and clenched teeth with glinting eyes and a dribble f blood ran form the corner of her mouth. Narue gritted through her pain, "I am NOT him, you bastard!I AM NOT!_" _her shoulders began to shake and her eyes softened, as tears spilled down her face.

There was silence and Narue's anguished sobs echoed around. Suddenly shaking himself out of his shock, Shikamaru ran forward and fell to his knees beside the crying girl, carefully taking her in his arms, pressing her wet face into his shoulder. Kiba came after and then finally Chouji. Kiba squatted down behind her and rubbed her back; Chouji put away his chips and held her hand.

By the time Narue had calmed and everyone was back in the classroom, Sasuke had awoken and sat in his chair, brooding, menacingly glaring at the now-laughing Narue.

'_How could she be so _strong?' he thought to himself, all angst like, '_I should have those skills, not that worthless trash!' _ignoring the ravenous fangirls by his side, he stood and excused himself quietly using the excuse of his injuries grudgingly, leaving the classroom and intending to do some more training.

Narue had seen him stood and watched him leave sadly, she did't mean to make him angry, she just wanted to win the fight. Kiba called for her attention and she gladly gave it to him, forgetting all about the EM kid Sask.

Iruka cleared his voice at the front of the class and miraculously, the whole class quieted in an instant and gave him their full attention. Getting over his shock, the dolphin spoke, "Our way-ward teacher, Mizuki has been brought under custody and is being questioned by the Anbu as I speak. Now that the mid terms are over, its time to get back to real class work again! Now turn your textbooks to page 142, Kunai's and their uses."

The class gave a collected groan, and immediately forgot about Mizuki and Narue and everything else that had happened that day, except for those who were smart enough not to.

-------------

Once school was over, Narue took her time leaving the classroom, talking and laughing with her brothers.

"Hey Chouji, can I have a chip, man? Please? I'm hungry!" Kiba pleaded to the chubby boy, but Chouji only narrowed his eyes and clenched his bag tightly.

"Chouji-kun! Can I have a chip?" Narue asked sweetly, and Chouji faced her, holding out the bag for her to take one. Happily munching on the BBQ chip Narue grinned at the flustered Kiba.

"So she gets one wile I get a glare? Way to pick favorites Chouji thanks." Kiba said sarcastically, exaggerating his eye roll, and earned himself a delighted laugh from the watching Narue.

"Alright now, let's get going, Narue's father must be waiting." Shikamaru broke into their fun, lazily shoving his hands in his pockets and walking out the door, ignoring the cries of "Shika-kun, you party pooper!" and "Your no fun Shikamaru!"

Outside, they found that most of the kids were gone and only a few remained. Beside the entrance was Jiraiya waiting for Narue with another woman, quietly conversing.

"Shizune-nee-chan!" squealed Narue and she ran towards the black haired woman, laughing.

"Narue-chan, Sweetie!" Shizune cried back and caught the girl, pulling her into a giant hug. Shikamaru, Kiba and Chouji followed after, smiling at the cute Blondie talking avidly to her 'nee-chan'

Jiraiya walked up to the three boys and asked in an undertone, as to not draw attention, "What happened today? I heard there was an incident." Shikamaru stepped forward and explained what happened in full detail.

Jiraiya scowled into space and growled, "There are too many in this village that would do that if they could." The boys sent a questioning look to him but he ignored it in favor of Narue, who was looking at him suspiciously.

"What are you talking to them about daddy?" Narue pouted.

Jiraiya only smiled widely and chuckling, called "Oh nothing, Dear! Only interrogating your boyfriends is all!" the three boys gaped at him and loudly protested, Narue joined them, blushing like mad.

---------------------------------

Can you please tell me if 'nee-chan' is right for an older sister, because I have no idea.

once again, click the little purple "go" button ! ;P -mayu


	8. Chapter 8 Exams

I've got over 2000 hits! That makes me happy!

Thank you all for your confirmation on the nee-chan thing.

I am almost positive that this will be a ShikaNaru, because the "love" vibe between Narue and Sasuke is really really……...bad. –Shifty eyes-

Also there's the fact that I don't like Sasuke, At all. -Dodges bottles thrown by SasuNaru fans.-

Enjoy!

-Mayu ;P

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Innocence

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Another half year has passed, and now it was the graduating exam. Many students were worried and others were laid back, awaiting the test. Narue and her brothers were sitting at the back, joined by only one other person, Hinata.

The shy girl had joined their "group" a little over a month ago, Sakura and her fellow fangirls had been teasing her when Narue walked up and punched the ground they were standing on. It had taken the teachers 2 hours to get the screaming girls out of the deep chasm.

Now, Hinata was like a new sister to Narue, and the blonde was ecstatic about her family growing even more.

A loud cough came from the front of the room, and yet no kid took any notice to it at all. A vein popped out on Iruka's forehead, and he screamed, "THE EXAMS ARE STARTING NOW, SHUT UP AND PAY ATTENTION!!!"

You could hear a pin drop in the silence as the kids in the room stared at the hyper-ventilating dolphin. Straightening his vest with a huff Iruka continued in a controlled voice, "The first half of the graduation exam will be a written test and the other half will be a ninjutsu/genjutsu test of henge, bunshin and kawarimi, we will begin the written test in 5 minutes."

The classroom erupted in talking again and Iruka dropped his head in his hands, kids never learn.

"So Narue, do ya think, you'll get through the written test?" Kiba asked the girl.

Narue nodded, "I remember al lot of things and have been studying with mommy every night!" she grinned proudly.

"You're probably going to get a higher mark then me then, I haven't studied a word." drawled Shikamaru, relaxing his head in one hand and smiling lopsidedly at Narue.

"But your like really, really, smart Shika-chan!" Narue's wide blue eyes blinked.

Shikamaru frowned as Chouji and Kiba erupted in laughter, "Don't call me chan" he muttered, pouting slightly.

A hand pulled on Narue's shirt, and she looked down to Hinata, who was timidly trying to get her attention. The clear-eyed girl pointed to the other side of the class silently, at Sasuke and if looks could kill, they all would be 18 feet under.

"Oh, ignore the brooding meanie Hina-chan! He's just jealous of our prettiness!" Narue said loudly, attracting some attention. The other kids snickered while fangirls protested.

Iruka stood at the front of the room and cleared his throat again, this time the kids quieted faster and sat in their seat.

"I'll be handing out the tests now, please do your best and actually write the answers down!" Iruka gave a pointed look to Shikamaru who only yawned in return.

Throughout the test, the room was quiet except for the scratching of pencils. Narue sat chewing her lip and twiddling her hair as she read the questions.

_Question 1:_

_Who are the Sannin and what are they known for?_

Narue smiled, this test will be easy!

Around an hour later, most of the kids had dropped their pencils and were waiting, stretching their cramped fingers.

"The next test will be conducted in another room before a panel of judges. I'll call you all in alphabetically starting with….Aburame Shino!"

As the people were called, the others mingled around and talked. Narue and her friends started a game of go fish, and consequently, Shikamaru was whooping in all their asses.

"Do you have a 7?" "Awe, Shika! You're so mean!" a bout of laughter arose at the little blonde expense, as she handed over her card with a pout.

"Akimichi Chouji!" Chouji breathed deep and stood, walking over to the door.

"Yay, Go Chouji-kun!" Narue yelled after him, turning back to her cards Narue concentrated, pursing her lips.

"Anyone have a 5?" she asked and looked around, they all shook their heads except for Hinata, she nodded and handed over her card. Fumbling with her cards a bit Narue grabbed it, unknowingly flashing them all with her cards, not that they said anything of course.

One after the other, they were called up and they all returned wearing a forehead protector. Some random students failed and looked downcast as they returned to their seat.

The exam continued into the day, and the five stopped their card game, ending up standing around talking. Narue was illustrating her point on how girls are short and boys are tall to Shikamaru when her name was called.

Quickly running over to the room, she stood in the middle in front of the judges, ready do anything.

"Alright now Narue, can you give us a henge?" Iruka asked kindly to his student.

Narue nodded, making the correct hand sign and announcing the technique. Poofing into Iruka and back was no problem at all for the tiny girl. Tsunade and Jiraiya made sure to teach her this at a young age, so she can do it easily now.

Iruka nodded, "Good, now please do kawarimi with this log beside me." He waved his hand at the object and observed as she poofed and switched places with the log.

Now it was bunshin, cocking her head Narue tapped her cheek with her pinky.

"Uum, Iruka-sensei? Can i do a different bunshin? I can't do the basic bunshin." Iruka was confused by the question but answered anyways.

"Yes, as long as it's a bunshin." Narue nodded and made a cross with her fingers saying, "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" A poof of smoke erupted from her and obscured view for the teachers.

After it had cleared, there stood four extra Narues and she was leaning on one, smiling at the panel. After overcoming his shock, Iruka stated, "Such a jutsu for an academy student, the difficulty of the jutsu earns you extra points, good job Narue." He held out a leaf forehead protector for the girl to take.

The small blonde smiled widely and rushed forward to grab it. Tying it tightly to her forehead, she walked out grinning like mad. She was finally a ninja! Running up to her family, Narue pounced on the standing Shikamaru's back, causing him to yelp.

"I did it! I'm a ninja now! Just like you!" They all congratulated her patting her on the back and head. Sliding off Shikamaru she jumped into the conversation with a little more energy than usual.

Once everyone had finished their tests and sat in their seats facing Iruka, hardly anybody listened to his speech about "Being a Shinobi"

Hearing only the last part, the students all filed out of the classroom, looking forward to telling their parents and families about their accomplishment.

"Come back in two weeks, and you will be placed in three man teams with a sensei. Thank you and live your life to the full, as a genin."

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Please ignore any or all grammar mistakes, because my auto correct is stupid and forgets things like them. Thank you

i dont think i like this chapter really, too much dialoge, but now I must think of teams…..YAY!

Click the little purple button or else you won't get an imaginary cookie!

;p -Mayu!


	9. Chapter 9 New Teams?

HOMEWORK SUCKS! GAAAH!  Pouts 

-Mayu

Innocence Chappy 9

"I wonder what team I'll be on! I hope it's with you guys that would be so cool!" Narue exclaimed to her friends, "I wonder what sensei's there are, they must be jounin right? I've never met a jounin, they must be uber strong don't ya think?" As she rambled, the others only listened and nodded their heads.

Shikamaru was mulling over a piece of information in his head, using his awesome brain power to figure it out.

'_Since me, Narue, Kiba, Chouji, Hinata, Sakura, Sasuke, Ino, and Shino passed along with all those non-important kids, there is a very high chance that at least two of us will be put in the same team. Overhearing dad talking about team placements he said that the teams were made so the teammates would compliment each other's skills and make a specific type of team. I only remember a few, like Assault, Defense, and Tracking.' _The dark-haired boy's brow was furrowed as he thought and he missed the calling of his name several times.

"SHIKA-CHAN!!!" the boy leapt out of his seat, skidding to a halt about 2 yards away. The shirker stared at the person who had just screamed in his ear, breathing heavily. Relaxing after he saw it was Narue, he clutched his chest.

"My god, Narue, don't scare me like that!" glaring at all the people laughing, Shikamaru sat back down in his seat.

"What were you thinking about Shika?" Narue asked in simple curiosity, widening her eyes and cocking her head. Shikamaru glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and replied, "Just wondering whose gonna be in a team."

Narue smiled, "I hope we'll be put on the same team Shika-kun!" she jumped (accidentally) onto his lap and wrapped her arms around his waist, squeezing. Shikamaru blushed and began to scramble in the hug, everyone who witnessed the display either aw-d or snickered at the pair.

Iruka called for attention and said, "alright I'll be announcing the teams now, be quiet. Team one…bladdy blah. (Skipping to team 7) Team seven, Uchiha Sasuke," all fangirls hoped, "Uzumaki Narue" Narue was saddened as all the girls glared at her, "and Nara Shikamaru, your jounin sensei is Hatake Kakashi"

Narue clapped her hands delightedly, and grinned happily at the lazy bum. Shikamaru smiled back at her and silently sighed in relief, Narue won't be alone on her Team.

"Team eight, Inuzuka Kiba, Haruno Sakura and Hyuuga Hinata; your sensei will be Yuuhi Kurenai" Hinata smiled softly and blushed, '_I'm on kiba-kun's team.'_

Iruka continued listing off his check board, "Team 9 bladdy blah, Team Ten, "Akimichi Chouji, Aburame Shino, and Yamanaka Ino." Some of The little blonde family looked sympathetic to the overly plump boy.

It was known, that Shino didn't talk at all, and Ino talks too much. Poor Chouji, people watched as the plump boy hung his head in despair.

The door slide open and in walked two adults. One was a woman and she wore a strange…scroll wrapped around her, barely concealing important parts of her anatomy.

The other was a man in the typical jounin outfit. A green flak jacket, with black shirt and sweater, he was puffing on a cigarette, smoking up the classroom.

Narue wrinkled her nose at the offending scent and hoped this wasn't her Kakashi-sensei. The woman spoke.

"Team 8 please come with me." Kiba sort of whined-panted out under his breath, "Sensei is so hot!" unfortunately for him, both Narue and Hinata had heard him. Hinata simply shrunk down and frowned sadly. Narue, however was a different story, she stood up, whacked him one on the head and sat back down huffing.

"Respect women Kiba, or else!" Turning her head away from the fallen Kiba, (she hit his head, and with her monstrous strength slammed him into the ground.) as Hinata struggled to pull the unconscious boy out of the classroom, following the pink rhino (AN: I honestly say she's a rhino!), who was in turn, following their red-eyed sensei.

The man spoke, "I'm here for team 10….follow me." The chimney walked out the door closely followed by Ino, nattering about smoking is bad for you, and the silent Shino. Chouji trudged along behind, casting a last glance to the others in the room.

As the senseis came and left with their teams, the only ones left were team seven sitting in the room with Iruka and eventually he left as well.

An hour has passed, and we find our favorite heroine, fiddling with the sleeping Shikamaru's hair, Sasuke has not moved.

Another hour passes, and we find Narue snoozing on the desk, mouth open, and eyes fluttering in her dreams, Sasuke still has not moved, neither has shikamaru.

_  
Another _hour passes and we find shikamaru leaning against the back of Narue on the floor, still snoring away. Narue had gotten out her crayons again and was busy scraping across her paper in a childish attempt at art. Sasuke has _still _not moved from his spot, a dark circle of emoness surrounding him, keeping the sunshine at bay.

Half an hour passes and FINALLY the door slides open, and a silver-haired head poked itself in.

"Team seven, meet me up on the roof please." And the man disappeared in a puff of smoke. Sasuke stands and makes his way out, ignoring his new team.

Narue fumbled around with her colorings, and shikamaru helped her once she began to have trouble with the box. Catching a glance of the paper she was working on, He notices that there were three figures, which vaguely resembled himself, Narue and Sasuke.

Narue pulled the sheet to her chest, hiding it from view and mocked glare at the lazy boy, standing up and leaving the classroom.

Sighing, Shikamaru mumbled "troublesome" grabbed the blondes crayon box and chased after her.

After all of them seven had arrived on the roof, Kakashi took a moment to look them over. Sasuke was leaning on his knees, off to the side, not even looking at him. Shikamaru was sprawled across the steps lazily watching the sky and Narue was laying down on the ground still working on her paper, occasionally glancing up to the jounin.

Deciding to start things, Kakashi said, "Well, how about we learn more about each other shall we? Start with your name, likes, dislikes, hobbies, and dreams. You lazy kid start first." He waved his hand to Shikamaru.

Sighing, the boy started, "Nara shikamaru, I like to watch clouds, I dislike loud annoying people, I watch clouds, and my dream…is to have a dream." After that _enlightening _speech, Kakashi could only draw one thing out; the boy was as lazy as his father and more.

Gesturing to the other boy, Sasuke, Kakashi said, "Alright Mr. happy, your turn." 

Sasuke gave him his best Uchiha glare and started, "Uchiha Sasuke, I like little, I dislike a lot, my hobbies are training, my dream is to kill…a certain man."

The other members of the team simply looked at him, a little bit creeped out. Kakashi turned to the last member of his team; Narue was holding her masterpiece up to her face, smiling at it happily.

Shikamaru nudged the girl with his foot and she looked at Kakashi, slightly confused. Starting her intro, Narue stated, "My name is Uzumaki Narue, I like shika-kun, hina-chan, kiba-kun, chouji-kun, shizune-nee-chan, mommy, daddy, grandpa, and everyone else, I don't like mean people, arr-aro" she stumbled over the word, Shikamaru supplied, "arrogant"

Narue smiled and continued, "Ya, Arrogant meanies and perverts. My hobbies are training with mommy and daddy, drawing and learning new stuff. My dream……is to make everyone proud of me, and become a Hokaji!"

"Hokage." Shikamaru corrected again easily.

"Ya that!" Narue nodded swiftly, grinning up at Kakashi.

"Well, you three, you are now Team seven and tomorrow morning we are going to do our first mission, Survival training." Kakashi eye-smiled at them, anticipating their next words.

"But, we did that in the academy before already…" Kakashi started to talk when shikamaru continued, "...Unless, the graduating exam isn't good enough to become a genin, another test maybe? Its well known that genin don't start missions until a week after they begun."

Shikamaru had ended up mumbling to himself as Kakashi looked rather flustered, just how smart was this kid?

Narue spoke up, after watching shikamaru mull over it, "The conclusion is?"

"The conclusion is that, the newly made teams should prove that they are ready to become genin with a different test, not the fake bunshin test."

Kakashi glared at the boy, he had taken all the fun out of it.

The jounin said, "well, just bring yourselves to trainging ground 7 at 6 am in the morning tomorrow, and don't eat." He poofed out before there could be questions asked.

Sasuke stood and walked out of there immediately, ignoring the others, planning to get some training done. Shikamaru and Narue watched him leave, before turning to each other.

Narue was at an obvious loss on what to do, so shikamaru sighed and asked, "You wanna get some lunch?" Narue nodded and began to list off the foods she'd like as they left.

Left forgotten was Narue's drawing sheet lying on the pavement. On it was a colored picture of Sasuke, Shikamaru, herself and Kakashi colored to match real life. They were each holding each other's stick like hands, and smiling crudely with black crayon faces.

On the top wrote "The Purfect Team Sevin."

Probably my longest chapter.

Now I have two questions for you people,

Should Kakashi be an ass and train only Sasuke, leaving Narue and Shikamaru to get outside help? (most likely Anko or Genma) Or should he actually TEACH them?

Am I keeping Sasuke and shikamaru in character? I'm really worried about them. TELL ME PLEAAASE!

Love you all,

-mayu

p.s. if you haven't already, click tha GO button.


	10. Chapter 10 Test Part One!

I thank you for reviewing and telling me what you think I should do with Kakashi, they are greatly appreciated. Sometimes I am unsure about what you readers would be interested in, and need some help!

Yes, I know it's been a while, but my brothers renovating, and I'm helping…so blame him. .

By the way, I think I said in the last chappy, that they had to be at the training ground by 8? Ya, its now 6 Kay? Thanks…sry 4 the inconvenience.

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Chapter 10

Innocence

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You know, whenever you get up early in morning, you end up yawning every 5 minutes. As it was, Narue had just completed her 32nd yawn and she's not even at the training ground yet!

The shady light barely lit the dirt path she walked, hiding several stones causing the half-awake girl to stumble then and again. Eventually, the blonde reached the grounds, and already found Sasuke leaned up against a tree, resting his eyes.

Coming to the conclusion that the boy was asleep, Narue tiptoed around him to find a soft spot on the ground. Sitting down carefully, Narue took the moment to examine her wayward teammate.

His dark hair was falling over his face as his head nodded forward and back every few seconds. Narue pursed her lips and found something familiar in his face. It seemed really…. girl-like.

That's it! The boy was so girly; Narue kept seeing the girl in the boy. Nodding to herself, Narue looked back down the dirt road, there was Shikamaru stumbling towards them.

His eyes were closed and it seemed he was…sleep-walking? No, just half-asleep and walking.

Shikamaru eventually fell to the ground in a space near them; the boy hadn't even looked up to see where he was before he collapsed in peaceful slumber.

Narue observed him as well, not saying anything in fear of disturbing the happily snoring boy. Shikamaru's face was more hard and chiseled than Sasuke's. Where Sasuke had soft curved features, Shikamaru had straight angles.

Finally deciding that she liked Shikamaru's boy face better than Sasuke's girl face, her eyes drowsily closed, and she fell to her side, asleep before she hit the ground.

It had been about two hours before the sun finally annoyed Shikamaru enough to make him open his eyes. Blinking at the brightness, the boy tried to yawn but found something holding his left arm down.

Glancing down, Shikamaru was greeted with a head of blonde hair, and light breathing against his side. Narue had, in her sleep, rolled over and was now using him as a pillow/teddy bear.

Blushing, Shikamaru tried to extract himself from the girl, intending not to wake her, and he of course failed. (The girl has a grip like a vice!)

"Mm? Shika? What are you doing in my bed?" Narue's sleepy voice asked. Still blushing he responded quietly, knowing that Sasuke was nearby.

"Erm… Narue, we're at the training ground…. for the test, remember?" he was slightly nervous, would she hit or scream at him? That's what all the other girls would probably do.

However, the childish female only yawned and stretched away from him, blearily blinking her eyes. Shikamaru breathed a sigh of relief, and counted that moment as a brush by death, he knew how violent Narue could get when angered.

"Hello Sasuke-meanie! Did you have a nice nap?" Narue smiled at the brooder, the grin lighting up her face, and making her tiny frame seem even cuter.

The boy glared at her and turned away with a trademark "Hn" he absolutely did _not _have a nap…he was only resting his eyes…for two hours. Narue turned away a little sad, what did she do?

A poof erupted on one of the training stumps and cleared to reveal their tardy teacher, book in hand and giggle present.

"Kaka-sensei! You're late! Teachers are not supposed to be late!" Narue pouted cutely at him, head cocked to the side and arms crossed.

Kakashi couldn't resist, "well, I apologize for keeping my cute little students waiting!" he bowed and eye-smiled at the giggling girl. Who knew Kakashi was good with kids? (Seriously, who knew?)

He turned serious and continued, "Now, the test will be timed 2 hours, during that time you will have to take a bell from me to pass." He took out the two dangling silver bells from gods-know-where, "the one that does not get a bell fails and is sent back to the academy. You will come at me with the intention to kill; otherwise you will not succeed as a ninja. Any questions?"

It took a moment for Narue to process the lengthy speech, and raised her hand like a good student should, "Sensei, we were put on teams of three, and you are going to send one of us back?"

Narue's innocent question had started Shikamaur's mind gears and they aren't going to stop anytime soon. Kakashi noticed the genius's eyes narrow and nearly lost his cool, _'Oh god, I hope the other two are complete idiots and don't realize what the kid just said, and it could ruin my whole test!'_

"I'm not answering that! Now go!" in a flash he had brought out a timer, set it, and poofed off. _'Real smooth Kakashi…you stupid-head…I mean dumb-ass, Gah! She's affecting my brain!'_

Sasuke had immediately jumped off, leaving Narue and Shikamaru sitting there, in the middle of the clearing.

Narue noticed on how Shikamaru's eyebrows were drawn down, and scrambled to kneel beside him, listening to him mutter, "if there are two bells and three teammates, there is a 66 chance that two will pass and 33 chance one will fail, however, genin teams all have three members, at least those that I know of, ….mutter….mutter"

Narue asked, "And the conclusion is?" She always did this when Shikamaru ever put his brain to something, he said it helped him re-organize his thoughts and get an answer.

Shikamaru stood and brushed off his pants saying, "The conclusion is, that this is a test of teamwork. Teams of three stay teams of three if they have an important skill called teamwork." He held out a hand for the gil on the ground and pulled her to her feet.

Narue looked confused and voiced it, "What about Sasuke-meanie? Isn't he all like, 'I'm Sasuke and I'm a big meanie!'?"

Shikamaru bit back a laugh and told her, "Well, we'll just have to persuade him." Snickering he took off to the trees. Narue shrugged her shoulders and followed.

Maybe they could get Sasuke-meanie to play with them in this game…

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Teehee! I finished!

Sorry for the long wait, but I've been real lazy lately, and have been napping the whole day.

Click the button and all _my _worries will go away! (I can't say anything about yours ;p)

ilu4eva!


	11. Chapter 11 Test Part Two!

I am glad you like this story in spite of the errors in grammar, plot, characters, etc.

And so your reward is more story! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own naruto.

-mayu

Chapter 11

Innocence

Kakashi had been standing here for about a half hour, and absolutely nothing was happening. If he was a normal jounin he would be bored to death and would go looking for the kids. Hatake Kakashi is however, _not _a normal jounin, he was happily giggling over his book apparently not looking at anything around him.

The attack came suddenly to his left; a barrage of kunai flew at an impossible speed (for normal people) at him. Kakashi made no move to stop them, not even looking up from his book. A poof of smoke erupted when Sasuke's weapons met and destroyed Kakashi clone.

Sasuke cursed to himself as he had just given away his position, quickly leaping away to somewhere else. Kakashi stepped out from behind the tree branches and watched the retreating boy's back, eyes narrowed and grim. The boy reminded him to much of himself when he was younger.

Narue was crouching behind a bush when Sasuke-meanie suddenly appeared n front of her, on the other side of the bush. He had not noticed her and Narue remembered what Shikamaru had sent her out to do, _"Bring back Sasuke to this location, either by force or words just bring him here! I'll stay and try to think of a plan."_

She stuck her tongue out and tensed her muscles, pausing. Sasuke only gave a strangled cry before he was suddenly tied up and dragged off by the blonde, a gag filling his mouth, preventing him from talking.

Shikamaru sweat dropped as Narue stepped into the clearing, lugging behind her a glaring and red-faced Uchiha, who was certainly angry as hell. Narue was smiled at him, obviously proud of her job.

Shikamaru hid a snicker at the 'great' last Uchiha being dragged behind a tiny blonde girl with the mind of a five year old. This was something to remember.

"Put the poor guy down, but make sure he doesn't say anything or try to run okay Narue?" He asked her, squatting down with his back to a tree, finger tips touching.

By the time Sasuke had been released and shut-up, Shikamaru had finished planning and was currently clueing them in. Sasuke was kneeling quietly, grudgingly listening to the other boy, scowling. He was not happy, but he'll have to live until he passed.

Kakashi had been waiting again up against a tree reading his book. There was about 15 minutes left to the test, and Kakashi had dumbly decided that Team 7 will fail. Too bad the uchiha was on the team, maybe he'll drop by the Uchiha compound for some random teachings for the boy, and he needed it at least for the sharingan.

Sensing something coming his way, Kakashi ninja-jumped away to the middle of a nearby clearing, lazily flipping to a different page in his book. The shadow that had come his way disappeared again under the dark brush across from him. A few minutes later, Shikamaru stumbled out, scratched here and there by branches.

"Never thought you'd come after me, you seem a lazy type to me." The jounin drawled to the boy, not really caring.

"Trust me; I wouldn't even bother if it wasn't for the mini-blonde." Shikamaru drawled back, just as laid-back as his teacher. Kakashi smirked under his mask, the boy had spunk.

Suddenly disappearing, and reappearing behind the kid, Kakashi started to speak, "Ninja lesson #1: Taijutsu." He was about to perform his special 'attack' when his instincts took control and got him out of a gooey situation.

Narue had snuck up behind him when he had been conversing with Shikamaru and had pumped a fist full of chakra ready to fire. Where he had been standing minutes before was a gaping hole in the ground, smoking from the hit. Kakashi shivered, even he couldnt stay awake if he was hit full out by one of those Death Fists.

Feeling a heat from his side, Kakashi used his bad-ass ninja skills and switched at the last second before the wood he had replaced himself was burned to a crisp by the uchiha's Goukyaku (AN: that how you spell it?). '_Thank the ninja gods for kawarimi.' _He thought.

Sasuke dashed towards his teacher, bringing a swinging foot towards his head. Catching the foot, Kakashi also caught the punch that went for his mid drift. While, blocking, Kakashi accidentally put Sasuke in a position to swing himself and grab the bells. Kakashi pushed the boy away, brows drawing down, the boy was good.

Narue pounced on his back grasping his shoulders, she levered her chakra-filled foot around to the side and dug it into his torso letting go so he could fly. Kakashi flailed as he flew across the clearing, completely surprised by the attack. He flew right by the slouching Shikamaru, barely noticing the boys hand dart out as he went by, snatching the bells from his waist.

Of course, all thought process ceased when Kakashi crunched into the tree, slumping down unconscious.

When he became aware again, Kakashi was greeted with the sight of his new students contently chewing on the lunches he had brought. He was pleased to notice that Sasuke was sitting with Shikamaru and Narue, eating with them. Not talking or smiling surely but still sitting near and giving company, a breakthrough in the project 'Get Sasuke Social'.

"Well, kiddie's congratulations, you pass!" he eye-smiled and watched as joy flitted across Narue's face, and laughed when she brought both boys' heads in a hug to her chest with monstrous strength. Sasuke fought and yelled for her to release him, while Shikamaru gave into his fate, to be suffocated in a tiny girl's cleavage. Oh goody.

Kakashi surveyed the chemistry between his new students and couldn't help but wonder, what's in the future for these kiddi- no, these ninjas?

The team surveying room was filled with several jounins, each talking about their team. Some commented on how they failed, on how they passed, on what they wore, ect.

Kakashi strolled into the room, about an hour late wearing his trademark eye-smile and book. Several other jounins smirked when they saw him, one called out "well, Kakashi? Did ya pass them?"

Kakashi looked up and smiled through his mask, replied "Yep!" Silence stretched as Kakashi ambled towards the Hokage and his helper, Iruka.

"Registering Team seven, including Uchiha Sasuke, Nara Shikamaru, and Narue. Performance from the Nara was acceptable genin abilities, shows a good grasp of his family's jutsu, and has a smart mind. Uchiha Sasuke is above Genin abilities and is able to create a fully formed Goukyaku and still have energy to move after. Narue shows a high chuunin taijutsu level, mostly from the help of her mother's chakra-punch style. She also has a gigantic chakra level and in recuperation of that, has absolutely no power in genjutsu. Their teamwork could use some work, but I can polish that easily."

Kakashi's speech had quieted the others in the room, and Iruka looked ready to faint. Sarutobi smiled and held out the sign up sheet for genin teams, not at all surprised.

Hurray! I finished! Review plz!

ilu4eva!!!!!

-mayu


	12. Chapter 12 New Teachers

Teehee! Thank you for the reviews!

I have decided on my course of action, and here it is!

Enjoy!

-mayu

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Innocence

Chapter 12

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Kakashi was having a tough time. A week had passed and he still did not have any idea how to teach his students. Okay, Sasuke was easy to teach, the boy could suck up jutsus like a sponge. But for Narue and Shikamaru, he had absolutely no clue. Currently he was keeping them, busy by issuing d-ranks left right and center. Maybe it would work to get outside help?

"Kaka-sensei, where are you taking us?" whined Narue, lagging behind tiredly, wiping sleep from her eyes. It was about 6:30 in the morning, and Kakashi had been there on time only to drag his students off somewhere else.

"Patience Narue-chan, were almost there." He said, eyebrow twitching. Eventually, he stopped in the middle of a different training ground, on the other side of Konoha, I might add.

Sasuke was glaring holes in his back, and Shikamaru seemed to be sleeping standing up. Kakashi Stood in front of them and began to talk, "Since I have no idea at all how to teach you Narue, and you Shikamaru, I have asked some friends of mine to come and help me." At this point, Sasuke looked over at them and smirked superiorly, "I will teach Sasuke myself, on my own, as will Narue and Shikamaru with their temporary teachers. On the weekends, we will meet and work on our teamwork. Since we will be training at all times, I'm not going to get missions until we are good enough to do c-ranks….is that understood?"

None of them spoke. Shikamaru had listened through the whole thing and actually became marginally interested in who his teacher was. (surprisingly)

A rustling came from over to the right, and the genins turned to look. Out came a woman and man. The woman was rather…imposing with her full body fishnets, mini skirt and shirt, with the overall trench-coat, and sadly, Narue immediately fell in love. (As a sister)

The man had dark hair and wore the standard jounin clothes…however, every 5 seconds he coughed into his hand. Dark circles under his eyes spoke of no sleep and sickness.

"My genin team, meet your new instructors…Mitarashi Anko," Anko waved emphatically, earning an emphatic wave in return from the blonde, "and Hayate Gekko." Hayate nodded at them, coughing.

"How troublesome."

Throughout the two months, the team trained. Avery day they met their respective instructor and every weekend worked on their relationships and teamwork. This schedule worked well for them, and it showed when they had a run in with team 8.

_Flashback_

_Walking down the street, team seven reviewed their training of the week. Sasuke was conversing and rather thoroughly enjoying himself when a screech came from his right._

"_SASUKE-KUN!" a familiar pink rhino tried to ambush the boy, throwing herself toward him. Sasuke step-sided and used a move Kakashi had taught him, snatching Saukra's wrist, he swing her using the momentum and flung her into an apple cart stand._

_Hinata and Kiba came running up behind the pink-haired girl and stood before team seven._

"_Well, well, well what do we have here?" Kiba grinned with Hinata softly smiled beside him. Narue laughed and launched her self between the two, grabbing them in a giant hug._

"_It's so good to see you! It's been too long! Awe Hina-chan!" she giggled, blonde hair bouncing as she hugged them both hard. Shikamaru snickered at them, attracting the tiny bombshell's attention._

"_Shika-chaaaan, Come hug!" she pulled him into the group hug, despite his protests. Sasuke stood by this display of affection, feeling slightly left out before a hand shot out and pulled him in. He struggled and yelled but he was hugged all the same._

_They all had started laughing (Sasuke only slightly twitched his lips, but his eyes were laughing anyways.) and walked on, not noticing Sakura standing up behind them, looking slightly sad. Why didn't they take her? Wasn't she good enough?_

_Narue was talking excitedly to Hinata, illustrating the whole time since they last saw each other. Shikamaru was conversing with Kiba about the new teachers and Sasuke was walking between the four, for some reason content to simply listen to their chatter. It confounded the Uchiha greatly._

_They five reached their unknown destination (the ramen stand) and sat down for a good old eating. _

_About a half hour into their fun, they heard a shout outside the door, "Team seven, Front and Center!" a woman's voice. Narue, Sasuke and Shikamaru immediately disappeared from their spots, causing Hinata to gasp and Kiba to fall out of his chair (he had been leaning on shikamaru laughing)._

_They quickly ran outside to greet the sight of stony faced team seven in a line facing Anko, Narue in the middle with the boys on her sides. They looked rather imposing and deadly._

"_New training resume, instead of half the day off we're training the entire day, I have booked the forest of death." Team seven nodded as a unit an jumped off to the far roof, and then ran off with out a second glance to the other two still on the ground._

_Anko grinned sinisterly at them, creeping them out, "Team seven has been training _hard." _The way she said it ran shivers down the two's spines._

_Once Anko had disappeared, Kiba and Hinata looked at each other; maybe it was time to train._

_Flashback end_

The two months went fast, Shikamaru's parents were becoming slightly worried about the way their son was…moving around so much. Getting up early in the morning then leaving for training, and then coming home late in the evening completely worn out.

(I'm going to skip to the end of the month, cause I'm too lazy right now ;p)

The morning was crisp; the winter nights were coming fast. Sasuke leaned against a tree, alert but at ease. He had changed his clothing into a black shirt, much like his old one, over white shorts with many pockets for ninja things. He had arm guards strapped to his forearms, as well as his shins. His headband was still on his forehead, proudly displayed. A small red sash was wrapped over and around his left arm-guard.

Up along the road, Shikamaru stepped his way to training ground 7, he had _also _changed his clothing into something new. Baggy black shorts with pockets like Sasuke's, under his usual short sleeve fishnet shirt with a dark forest green vest hanging lightly on his shoulders. Pockets lined the inside of the vest, with two on the front. A red sash like the previously described boy was tied tightly around his upper right bicep, under his headban. Hanging on his hips were a pair of short swords (I have no idea what the japanese swords are...if some1 does, please help.)The two boys in the clearing nodded at each other, since the morning silence seemed too precious to break.

As the light increased across the eastern sky, we find our blonde heroine walking along the road, happily humming a random tune, and twiding with a kunai.

She had also changed her clothing; much the same as the two boys. A red halter top with a fishnet under it was half-hidden under an open black coat. The sleeves were tight, ending at mid-forearm, and it reached to her mid-thigh. Black shorts stretched across her thighs, ending at her knees, where fishnets took over down to her ankles. Black Hand gloves with metal plats and no fingers covered her hands, and her leaf-headband hung loosely around her neck, her kunai pouch wrapped around her right leg for easy access. Her hair had stayed the same, only one accessory wrapped itself around her slim waist. A red sash just like the boys, tied in a knot to the side fell across her leg, ending above her knee.

The boys gaped at the tiny girl (they had not yet seen each other's clothing), she managed to pull of the 'cute and innocent little ninja girl' and the 'I'll kill you if you even look at me funny kunoichi' looks all at once.

Narue appraised the boys as she waved. Their new clothes made them seem more like ninjas and she noticed the new muscles being shown.

"Hellooo boys! How have you been?" she smiled widely, missing the starting of the boys as her voice startled them out of their staring. The team sat down to wait for their sensei, feeling the usual time fly by as the hours passed.

The sun was high in the sky when the usual poof surrounded the middle training stump. Kakashi greeted them with an eye-smile and the words:

"Time to start missions Team!" Team seven smiled (even Sasuke) it was **their** time to shine!

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I thoroughly enjoyed writing that chapter….. And I don't know why. (sweatdrop)

HAYATE! teehee, did ya like my choice? Anko for Narue and Hayate for Shika?

If anyone has comments/questions/ANYTHING about the new clothes I'm going to ignore them, not because I hate you, but because I brought those out of the top of my head and reaaallly don't want to change them. Ok?

Review!

-mayu ;p


	13. Chapter 13 Fighting a Jounin

Teeeheeeee, missions have started! And guess what's first?

The only reason I'm updating is because I really enjoy the encouraging reviews from all my readers! I thank you!

As much as I don't want to, I'm going to write the wave mission, because something important happens. (Wink wink)

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Innocence 

Chapter 13

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Team seven trooped into the mission distribution room, startling both Iruka and Sarutobi from their new appearances. Narue smiled and waved at Iruka, happy to see the instructor, Sarutobi got a smile from her, and it lifted his old wrinkly heart. 

"Team seven requesting a c-rank….ya got one?" Kakashi said to them who were sitting behind the desk. Sarutobi and Iruka looked a little surprised; they hadn't seen the team for two months and them they show up asking for a c-rank? Unheard of!

"Are you sure their ready? They had barely got out of the academy!" Iruka exclaimed at the Hokage's side, slightly disbelieving in their skills. Narue grinned mischievously and flickered out of existence in front of the kind chuunin.

"What are you talking about Iruka-sensei? Our skills are just fine! We trained all the time!" Narue's voice came from behind the man, and he whirled to see her rocking back and for on her feet, hands behind her back and smiling impishly. A little shaken, Iruka turned back to the others, finding Narue already standing in her original spot, as if she had never moved.

"Well, your abilities seem much better, and I have just the mission for you. A routine escort mission for a bridge-builder to wave country. Please let Tazuna-san in now thank you." The elderly Hokage called to the Anbu guards at the door.

In walked a graying man that stank of sake, he was carrying a pack with several papers in it; and a sake bottle was in his hand. Taking a swig from his drink, Tazuna inspected the genin with blood-shot, slightly drunken eyes.

He grunted, "this is all Konoha has to offer, why I wont be safe at all, under these _brats _protection! I don't think they look like ninja, especially that short blonde midget." He burped and took a swig of his sake. Well, at least he tried; a kunai broke the bottle and stuck into the wall right beside his face, quivering with the extra force behind it.

He trembled and turned to stare at the 'blonde midget' who had her hand out from throwing the projectile, "I would be careful of what I said around us ninja Tazuna-san! You might just get hurt along the way." Narue was innocently smiling, as if she hadn't just thrown a knife that barely missed impaling her employer's head.

"Well, Team, go get your things from your houses, and meet me at the north gate in 20 minutes…is that understood?" Kakashi asked his students, who all replied, "Hai, Sensei!" Shika and Sasu ran out the door, while Narue only flickered, appearing outside the window on the beam. She turned to the Hokage and Iruka, giving a small wave and smile, before dropping backwards from her perch.

Iruka gasped and ran to the balcony, opening the glass doors and grasping the banister. Narue had fallen about 10 yards before she flickered, and began jumping form roof to roof with her awesome ninja skills. Flipping and catapulting herself around, thoroughly having fun.

Kakashi, still beside the bridge-builder sighed and said, "I _still _need to figure out what Anko taught that girl…. (Sigh)"

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At the gate, we find team seven packed and ready to go….except for one problem, their client and teacher WEREN'T THERE. 

"Stupid one-eyed-sensei, he's always late!" Narue muttered, boredly flipping a kunai around. Shikamaru was leaning up against a tree, doing his favorite thing, watching clouds float by. Sasuke was simply standing with his arms crossed, glaring at the ground.

"Hello students! Sorry we're late! I had to give CPR to a fish; the poor thing was drowning in its own fish tank!" Kakashi emerged with Tazuna, who was looking at the smiling jounin with barely concealed disgusted amazement… he swore that the man was a freak.

Crickets chirped as the three genin stared at Kakashi, obviously not amused by his excuse. With an uncomfortable cough, Kakashi ordered them to move out, starting on the road.

Narue smiled lightly and serenely as the sounds and sights of nature swept over them all. The green leaves on the trees rustled, and the sun warmed her skin. As much as she liked living in Konoha, Narue still missed sleeping under open night skies while she traveled with her parents and Shizune. The other's noticed the peaceful look on the little girl's face and smiled softly; she had reached into each of their hearts, and set up an apartment, warming them with her own little fire.

It had been an hour already, and nothing had happened at all. No bandits or ninja trying to attack Tazuna, hell not even a squirrel was in their sights. Narue had become slightly bored as all they were doing was walking. She was trying to the best of her abilities to keep herself occupied. From humming a song to not stepping on rocks, the girl could not find anything, and finally gave up.

Running up behind the laziest boy in the group, Narue jumped on his back, whining in his ear, "Shikaa-chaan, I'm bored!" Shikamaru stumbled due to the extra wake and said, "I can't help you with that! Now get off my back!" He tried to shove her off, and failed, mostly because of her arms wrapped tightly around his neck.

He quit trying to throw her off under the threat of suffocation and allowed the girl to ride on his back. The others on the journey snickered at the boy's predicament: Narue had wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck. She settled her neck onto his shoulder and had started to doze off. Shikamaru awkwardly held the girl in place, as he was much bigger that the itty bitty blonde, coupled with the fact that his two Kodachi making it tough to hold onto her.

Another hour passed, and Narue's snores resounded around the trees, mixing with their foot falls. Up along the road, they caught sight of a suspicious puddle on the side. As they passed, the ninjas watched the puddle closely; no one noticed when Narue's snores halted.

Two ninja's melted out from the puddle, and dashed to each side of Kakashi, bringing out a thick, shuriken chain, wrapping it around the surprised jounin.

"One down" one of them said thorough his face mask, the mask seemed to distort the man's voice, making it seem as if the speaker was dying.

The two suddenly appeared beside Shikamaru, still carrying Narue. They swung the chain between them and stated to say "Three down" when the chain was halted by two shuriken pinning it to a tree. Sasuke smirked as he lowered his arms and sprang to action, dodging up to one of the two, he paused waiting for something.

"Wh-what?! I can't move!" a shadow connected to the both of them, running across the ground back to Shikamaru who had his hands in a seal. Smirking, Narue no longer on his back, she couldn't be seen.

Sasuke spared no time wondering where the blonde was and quickly knocked out the on he was beside with a sweeping kick to the head. Glancing over to the other, he found him already unconscious, Narue sitting unconcerned as she released the knocked out man from her sleeper hold. He almost laughed at the size difference between the man on the ground and the child on his back.

They each heard clapping and looked to find Kakashi applauding on their performance. A second look to where he was 'killed' told them he switched with a log, and watched from afar.

"Good work you three! You just took out two b-ranked missing-nins named the demon brothers!" the boys looked proudly at one another, Narue squealing delightedly, "however, I now know who their target was, _Tazuna-san_." The jounin glared at the man, making him break out in nervous sweat.

"Wh-wh-what do y-you mean?" he stuttered, laughing nervously.

* * *

They were on the move again, this time Narue walking on her own two feet, alert for anything suspicious. '_Kaka-sensei said that there is a chance an even more powerful bad-guy may come along….hmmm' _she narrowed her eyes and tensed. 

They were all startled when she shot a kunai into the bushes and leaping after it. Tazuna jumped, what was it _this_ time?

Narue reappeared out of the trees carrying a white object, the team relaxed when they saw it was only a bunny.

"Narue! Don't scare us like that, and don't just randomly throw kunai into the woods, they're sharp." Kakashi berated her, acting like she was a stupid child who didn't know anything about being a ninja. Narue cast her teacher a confused/hurt glance and hurried over to Shikamaru's side, head down and hunched between her slim shoulders. Sasuke glared at the man from his position on the other side of the group, somehow disappointed in him.

Narue whispered to Shikamaru, "I knew there was someone there, a piece of clothing was pinned by my kunai!" Shikamaru thought this over and lowly whispered, back, just loud enough for Sasuke to hear also, "Kawarimi!" the genin straightened and peered into the sudden mist, casting their eyes around for any sight of humanity.

Kakashi sensed something coming his way and yelled, "GET DOWN!" he was, however, slightly put out when he noticed that his students had hit the floor before he yelled, pulling Tazuna down with them, wasn't he supposed to do better than them?

Just at that moment a huge head-cleaver spun over their heads, thunking to a stop halfway into a tree.

Eerie laughter echoes around the blank mist, and the team stood to see a human figure standing on the sword handle. As mist cleared in the area around the figure, they could make out the man was tall and had a muscular build. Only bandages covered his chest and mouth. A scratched headband was slanted to the side on his head; they couldn't make out the village sign though.

"Well, well, your fairly good to dodge that attack by Kubikiri, I applaud you." the man jumped down from his perch and grasped his gigantic blade, he then disappeared as the mist obscured his location once again. His voice came from a different place the next time, causing them all to swerve and face him, fearfully, how do you fight an enemy you can't see?

The mist cleared again and showed his face, Kakashi gasped, "Momochi Zabuza, A-ranked missing-nin from Kiri!" Zabuza grinned sadistically, and said, "Glad that you know of me, my reputation precedes itself. It will make it all the way easier to kill you." He disappeared again, and Kakashi ordered quickly, "Mussu formation, now! Stay out of this battle, its mine!"

Kakashi ran off to where he thought the demon of the mist would be, leaving his students behind, surrounding the bridge builder in a triangle. A chuckling voice grinned from behind them, "He shouldn't have left such pitiful rookies behind." Zabuza had appeared in their midst, sword at the ready to cleave through the terrified Tazuna.

The genin's eyes widened, as they moved. Shikamaru appeared to block the sweeping cleaver with his own swords, grunting at the weight and strength behind the attack. Sasuke moved at the same time, grabbing the builder and leaping a good distance away. Narue flickered into the space in front of Zabuza, in between him and his blade.

She gritted her teeth as she flipped onto her hands, bringing her feet up to smash into the huge-man's chest. The blow sent him about a yard away, breaking the man's contact with the two genin, and by then they had already retreated to Tazuna, in their previous position.

Zabuza was slightly impressed by them, it was a clean formation and maneuver that got the client to relative safety, not many genin can do that. A kunai appeared propped against Zabuza's neck in an instant, and Kakashi's voice sounded beside his ear, "Its over for you." Zabuza grinned, "I think not." He burst into water, appearing again behind Kakashi, Kubikiri pointed to his back.

Kakashi leaped away, just as the cleaver was thrust. Now Zabuza and Kakashi stood across from each other, glaring and sending all of their killing intent at one another.

Tazuna was ready to wet himself from all the angry pressure, but the genin simply shrugged it off, they had gone through this training with Anko and a friend of hers called Ibiki. (Shudder)

"Show me your Sharingan, Kakashi, show me your full power." Sasuke started at the mention of his bloodline and sent an inquisitive look to his sensei. Kakashi reached up and lifted his headband, revealing the red eye.

Zabuza leaped backward onto the water, settling into a stance. He knew he was out of reach and he hoped that this jounin was so arrogant enough to follow him. He was.

Kakashi followed the man, doing hand seals. Shikamaru gasped, the idiot! "Narue! We need clones now!" she nodded, catching on, and making the hand-sign.

In a poof, there were three clones of the girl, and they took up positions around the startled Tazuna, Sasuke Shikamaru and the original Narue ran over to the edge of the lake, watching quietly as Zabuza and Kakashi exchanged jutsus. Shikamaru murmured, "Anyone knows the technique to walk on water?" Sasuke shook his head ruefully, Kakashi did not teach him any chakra control exercises, but Narue nodded, she needed the control for her tai-jutsu style.

"Okay, I want you to go out there and come up behind Zabuza; he is definitely going to use some jutsu to keep Kakashi-sensei still. Sasuke, I want you to get wet in this and swim over to Kakashi, but stay under the water, he has used the majority of his chakra already from the signs from his body must be the Sharingan. Once Narue breaks Zabuza's concentration on the holding jutsu, I want you to drag sensei under the water, and bring him to the shore, tell him _why _he's not allowed on the water anymore. Narue, distract Zabuza enough so I can stretch my shadow over the water and connect to him. Once he's caught, knock him with a chakra fist to the head alright? Now go!"

The two went about their tasks quietly, Narue stepping softly onto the surface of the rippling waves and dashing around to the sides of the fighting jounin. Sasuke ripped a reed out of the water and slipped under the surface, the reed above for air.

Shikamaru took a deep breath and concentrated gathering his chakra with the help of a hand seal, drawing his brows down through the effort. Stretching his shadow on the solid ground was easy enough, but stretching it across the moving, unstable water surface will be MUCH harder.

Narue positioned herself about 3 meters from the back of the mist-nin, trying to be silent and hide her chakra at the same time. If he noticed her now, the plan would be ruined and Shika will be disappointed in her.

Narue finally caught a little flicking movement of a one handed sign behind the large man's back. Kakashi cried a startled oath when water tendrils suddenly started to climb his legs and sink his feet into the abnormally thick water. Narue charged at Zabuza's back, yelling an incomprehensible war cry.

Zabuza jumped to the side, as Narue's foot hit the air where he once stood. Zabuza was forced to abandon the hand sign in order to block the flurry of punches headed towards his head. He was slightly irritated that such a small kid could keep him on alert, also because a small bit of her punches nicked his arms and body, the flesh becoming a bit numb for some reason.

The little brat was aiming her fists at nerves around his body, trying to disconnect them from his brain activity and stop them from functioning…a clever brat, though a brat none the less.

Shikamaru noticed when Kakashi was suddenly released, and dragged under water. He unleashed his shadow, clenching his teeth to keep his concentration. Sweat beads rolled down his forehead and neck as he threw his shadow from his feet, across and around the liquid surface of the lake, to just barely catch hold of Zabuza.

Zabuza cursed when he found that he was unable to move his limbs, and was forced to watch as Narue closed in on him. A fist glowing with the amount of chakra stuffed into it. All went blank for the demon, not when Narue's fist connected, but when senbon needles sunk in.

A mist wearing hunter-nin appearing after the needles saying, "thank you for your assistance, I will take it from here." The nin jumped away before questions were asked, and Narue ran to where her teammates sat.

"That was odd; the hunter-nin just took off." She heard Sasuke speak, as she got closer. Shikamaru had lied down on his back, sweating and gasping for air; the technique had wasted most of his chakra. Sasuke looked the best of them all, only a little breathless and wet.

"Why is that odd?" she asked, plopping down, thoroughly exhausted from having to expend her chakra and waste energy trying to get a clean hit o the elusive Zabuza. Kakashi however, took that moment to faint, and that distracted the frowning Shikamaru.

"Come on; let's get him to my house, its really close." Tazuna told them. The three genin tiredly stood, and Narue used her last bit of strength to drag (drag, not carry) her sensei the rest of the way.

* * *

I just kept writing! O.o longest chapter for sure! 3121 words! (grins)

Not the best fight scene, but I did my best, did you all like it?

I changed it a lot from canon and all because I think that team seven's skills and Narue being female would influence it somehow, also the fact that I like it when Kakashi screws up and his students have to save him! .

I thank you gaisensei for the much needed information on the swords and I hope you agree with my choice! And trust me, I got Hayate for a specific reason, you'll just have to wait for more chapters to find out! .

Review please! And can you tell me if I'm making team seven too strong? I don't want a team full of Mary Sues.

-mayu


	14. Chapter 14 The Inn

. thank you for your support!

I love yoooooouuuuuu

-mayu

* * *

Innocence

Chapter 14

* * *

A groan filled the room as Kakashi slowly returned to the land of the living. In his sights was a bright yellow light…no a head with bright yellow hair. Who did he know that had bright yellow hair? Hmm….SENSEI! Kakashi's eyes flew open but only found a small blonde female…oh, its just Narue.

"Kaka-sensei!" she disappeared form his sights for a few seconds but he still heard her cross the room, open the door and then bellow down what ever hall there was "KAKA-SENSEI IS AWAAAKE!" the yell ran in his ears for a minute and when he could hear again, his other two students were there.

Narue helped him sit up against the headboard, and so the jounin took a second to examine the room he was in. It was simple with only a bed and a worn down dresser in the corner.

"We're at Tazuna's place…Narue dragged you here because you fainted from chakra loss." Sasuke voiced from the far wall, he was leaning up against it, staring at Kakashi with his dark Uchiha eyes. Narue was sitting on the foot of the bed cross-legged, fiddling with her sash. Shikamaru was crouched over his knees in a chair beside the bed, obviously deep in thought.

"Chakra loss huh... (Sigh) a rookie mistake." Kakashi rubbed his face, feeling embarrassed. Narue reached over and patted his knee, "Everyone makes mistakes kaka-sensei! Even people like you!" she smiled angelically at him, somehow setting him at ease.

"There is something I'm confused about…and I don't know what it is," Shikamaru spoke from his spot, "the hunter-nin….he was strange."

Kakashi brought his memory to the surface of his mind, reviewing it. Narue about to wallop Zabuza's face, the needles, the hunter-nin, the nin jumping of, "Wait! Hunter-nins have a protocol to burn the body and carry away the head!"

The genin's eyes widened, "that would mean..." Narue started, "…that Zabuza is alive." Shikamaru finished with a sigh and a muttered "troublesome" The room was quiet as they all went over this information.

"So, the bad-guy is alive and going to come after us again?" Narue asked, slightly fearful. Could they beat him this time?

"Yes…the bad guy is going to come back." Kakashi gave her an answer. Sasuke pushed himself of the wall, coming to a stop and the bed adge, behind Narue.

"So what do we do?" he looked steadily into Kakashi's eyes.

"Now, we train."

* * *

'_How in gods name are they doing that?' _Kakashi thought, shocked by what two thirds of his team was doing right at that moment. Sasuke was also amazed, even if he didn't show it and was crouched on a tree limb, resting.

Kakashi had brought them out here to learn how to 'climb trees' and Shikamaru and Narue had said they knew how to do it, Narue had also already thought of a better way to practice chakra control.

At this moment, the two were swinging around the trunks of the trees, using chakra to stick to the side of one and then jumping to the next. They were sparring _sideways_ on the trees, running and jumping on them as if it was the ground. Sasuke was beginning to feel a flicker of jealousy at the skills of his teammates, what did they learn from those other teachers?

He had thought that since he had gotten the original teacher, he would get the best instruction…but it seemed not so. However, he fought the feeling, telling himself that Uchiha's do NOT get jealous.

Growling, Sasuke returned to trying to run up the tree, scratching a mark on the tree where he ended. Narue and Shikamaru paused their sparring to watch him. Shikamaru jumped to Narue's tree, asking her lowly, "Should we help him?" Narue nodded once, and they leaped to sasuke's tree, right in his path.

Shikamaru grabbed hold of his bicep and pulled him to a branch. Kakashi was watching this with some slight curiosity; he was leaning on some crutches so he couldn't jump up there with them and so settled for opening his trusty book.

Sasuke glared at the two and ripped his arm out of Shikamaru's hold, "What do you want?" he spat, the words coming out slightly angrier than he intended. Narue flinched at the hurtful words and said slightly hurt, "We just wanna help you get this done, so we can play the game!" She looked to the wood between her feet.

Shikamaru gave a hard look to Sasuke, and gestured to the sniffling Narue.

Sasuke sighed and said quietly, "I'm s-sorry Narue; I'm just irritated right now." He would never _ever _get used to apologizing to someone, but he did feel better when Narue looked up, happy that he had said sorry, tears like they were never there.

"That's okay! I know how to finish this training faster!" at Sasuke's questioning look, she continued, delighted he was actually listening to her, "You have to slow down and set one foot on it at a time. You know, find how much chakra you put in, then you walk up!" Sasuke found this explanation relatively easy to follow, and nodded.

He narrowed his eyes at her and asked a questioned he wanted to ask for a while, "Why are you helping me?" Narue and Shikamaru seemed surprised at it.

Shikamaru started chuckling and shook his head, jumping down form the branch, leaving the Uchiha alone with Narue. Sasuke glared after him and turned to the giggling blonde, searching for an answer

"Silly! It's because you're our teammate and friend, now hurry up and perfect it Sasu-chan! I want you to play with us!" she jumped down and resumed sparring with Shikamaru by chucking a kunai at his head. Sasuke was slightly confused, '_I'm their…friend?' _A soft smile erupted on his face, a smile that hadn't been there for the last 6 years. A true, happy smile, it lasted a while, at least until another thing Narue said caught up to him.

"DON'T CALL ME SASU-CHAN!!!"

Kakashi giggled, _'(snicker) Sasu-chan. (snicker)'_

* * *

The moon was moving in a slow and steady pace, and Narue was mesmerized by the twinkling and sparkling of the stars.

"They're so pretty…" she murmured unaware that she was heard.

"Yes, they are." Shikamaru's voice startled her and she leaned back tilting her head up. She had leaned back too far however, and began to toppled, gasping a strangled cry.

"Gahck!" She was halted however, when a shoulder pressed into her back, and a hand pushed her back to the middle of the roof. Twisting her head, Narue caught sight of raven black hair. The avenger had turned his head away as to not look the female in the face.

"Thank you Sasu-kun." She smiled her quick apology and of course, Sasuke ignored her, and pushed himself about a yard away from his teammates, sitting silently and staring across the forest.

"What're you guys doing up here?" she asked, not even looking at them, still gazing up at the stars.

"Just came to see if you were okay, you weren't in your bed so we came to check up on ya." Shikamaru seemed to deem he was speaking for them both, since Sasuke seemed to have permanently nailed his mouth closed. They fell silent and thought their own thoughts.

"Sasu-kun, you wanna no something funny?" Narue glanced at the boy, she continued without waiting for a reply, "I used to call you Sasuke-meanie and Sasuke-jerk and you called me dobe-trash or something…isn't that weird?" Sasuke twitched, drawing his slim feminine eyebrows down in confusion. Her question had hit a cord in him; he had used to loath the girl, and would gladly let her die if the time came, but now?

Sasuke puzzled on this for the space of time they sat up there on the roof. It was finally time for sleep when Narue yawned loudly.

"Alright Narue, time for bed, I promised your parents I'd get you to bed on time!" Shikamaru stood and stooped throw Narue over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

"But shika-aaayaaah-chan, I'm not sleepy." Narue whined around another yawn, not even protesting to being carried like a ruck-sack. Sasuke watched the blonde girl as she drowsily lifted her head and called, "Night night Sasuke-kun, see you in the morning." He head fell like a rock against Shikamaru's shoulder, asleep in an instant.

Once the two were gone, Sasuke stayed and made a decision to himself, and maybe he would become stronger with their help. With the help of his…friends, his lips twitched upward as he made his way to his bed.

(So it's slightly cheesy, cliché, and downright awful, but bah! I need them to all cooperate with each other, and Sasuke couldn't do that as an asshole.)

* * *

"BREEEAAAKFAAAAAAST!" Narue yelled into the boy's bedroom, causing them to jerk and curse at the loudness in the middle of the morning. Narue grinned and ran over to jump on their mats. Launching herself on the closest one, (Shikamaru) hearing a satisfying grunt of pain before she leaped onto the other one (Sasuke) Listening happily the grumblings of an irritated Uchiha in the morning.

"Get up! Tsumani-chan is making food!" She bounced on the squirming/gasping boys before jumping up and like a hurricane, left the room in a mess. Both boys hade been pushed off the mattresses they had been sleeping on, dragging the sheets with them. They were sprawled around, trying to make their muscles move. (AN: just imagine the image of a sleepy Sasuke sprawled on the floor! xD cracks me up!)

"I **hate **Mondays." Sasuke's deadish sleepy voice growled from his position face-down on the floor, Shikamaru grunted in agreement.

Downstairs, Narue was sitting on her chairs, legs swinging about a foot away from the floor, saying wildly to Kakashi, "I woke them kaka-sensei! I jumped on them to wake them up too!" Kakashi patted her proudly on the head as the boys dragged themselves down the stairs to literally collapse into their chairs.

They glared at Narue who seemed to be consumed by the hyper-ness only young kids are capable to acquire in the early morning. Of course, their grumbles were extinguished when Tsunami place a bowl of food in front of them.

Nobody noticed a little kid with a real cool green hat peek around the corner from the bedrooms; he had been avoiding the shinobi since they had entered his house, only watching them from afar. The black-haired boy turned with tears in his eyes, mumbling something about "we're all going to die and" and "their all idiots." while wiping the tears from his cheeks.

Narue flickered her eyes to the roof when she heard the pitter patter of feet ticking across the wood. She cast her eyes around and noticed nobody else had heard anything so she stayed quiet. Maybe it was her imagination. Kakashi-sensei had said something about how her mind can trick her, and so she dismissed the noise.

It had been a week since Zabuza's attack, and Kakashi predicted that he would attack again. The team left with Tazuna fully prepared to whoop a demon of mist's ass!

* * *

Alright! Not the best chapter ever, but its just one to get some things out of the way.

Since Narue already knew how to do the exercise, she has not met haku, but she will. Oh yes…she will (evil cackle)

Review pleeeaase!

-mayu

Ps. I officially HATE writers block….. (Grumble grumble)


	15. Chapter 15 Fight

;p

I've been super tired lately. Sleeping in, sleeping early, you know….just sleeping.

Im not on the top of my writing game here, but I tried..

-mayu

* * *

Innocence

Chapter 15

* * *

"Kaka-sensei, there is a lot of mist, is the bad-guy here?" Narue's voice was subdued by the heavy pressure in the air. They had arrived at the bridge, but had found it swamped by a cloud of mist large enough to hide the entire bridge and all on it.

As they moved closer, the group gasped in unison at the sight of motionless bodies and blood splatters all across the bridge. Ominous cackling echoed and Kakashi motioned for the genin to surround and protect the client (Tazuna).

Zabuza's cleaver appeared first, followed by the carrier himself. He was grinning from ear to ear, sending waves of bloodlust and killer intent down on them. He was accompanied by two others, the same height as the genin. Each was wearing a hunter-nin mask, eye holes calmly glaring into their skulls.

Zabuza called out to them in a menacing voice, "Maybe it will be different this time eh? Kakashi? Hahahaha! Now your students can't save you!" the demon of the mist motioned with his hand, and the two masked people sprang forward. Both Narue and Sasuke were overcome and could not keep formation. They jumped away with the two others after them; Shikamaru was left in front of Tazuna, eyes darting around checking for any surprise attacks.

Zabuza took Kakashi's attention away from his combating students by pressing forwards and slamming his sword down on the jounin's head. Kakashi blocked, and soon jumped into the fighting fray.

* * *

She blocked a storm of needles with a chakra sweep of her hand, (she waves her hand and a small wave of chakra swipes at anything in the air.) and jumped away from another. The masked person made no effort to communicate or interact with her, and only tried to stick her full of needles.

The Nin stopped suddenly, and began making hand seals while taking with a low monotone, "I am sorry to kill you but it must be done for Zabuza-san. I am also sorry to tell you that both of your friends are going to die, along with your sensei and the client. There is no other way." The Nin spoke a low jutsu name, and the water from the mist began to bunch together around Narue, creating a dome of flat plated mirrors of ice.

"This will be your death." The Nin pivoted and melted into one of the mirrors, and soon, every mirror had a person in it.

Narue gasped and looked around; she had no way to tell which the real one was. Narue cried out when she felt a pinching feeling in her shoulder, her left hand grabbed it and her head twitched to the area. There was a long needle, with purple goop oozing down the shaft and bleeding into the wound.

Her shoulder seemed to freeze, poison maybe? Well, she could feel its effects, se had to stop this before any other poison gets into her body, and she didn't know what would happen.

Narue ripped it out of her shoulder with a little force; she turned and glared at the boy in the mirror. Gritting her teeth, she waited as another wave of needles came her way, then she used something her mother had taught her, expending chakra from all tenketsu in her body,. The chakra folded together to create a dome on one side of her body, reflecting the needles easily and then dissipating into the air.

Haku (yeah I said haku!) took in this change and resumed his attack, sending storms of needles on each side. Narue panted and flinched at each attack. The defensive jutsu drained most of her power, taking her energy with it. She new she had to do something fast, or else the consequences will be bad.

Narue prepared herself for an attack, and was about to fire when a cry of pain distracted her. Sasuke screamed again as the blade dug deeper into hi stomach, poking its gory self out of his back. Narue's heart stopped just as Sasuke's frozen body hit the ground. The scene was stuck in her eye and she didn't even feel when a whole barrage of needles stuck themselves into her side.

The needles seemed to make her muscles freeze and she soon tumbled, still looking at Sasuke. A yell from Shikamaru sounded like a murmur as her eyes closed into darkness.

* * *

Deep within the recesses of the little blonde's mind, the near silent chuckling grew louder, echoing around the sewer. It was dark and evil, full of black mirth and mal-intent. Bubbling red chakra forced itself out of the cracks of the gate, flowing into her consciousness.

A grin as hideous as its holder grated**, "You can't fight me forever youngling, and I **_**will **_**win."**

---- (slight gore here, I warn you!)--------

Her blonde head rolled to the side, her body looked dead to all those. Shikamaru had tears in his eyes, and the kunai he was holding shook. Tazuna had turned away, unable to look at the death of two young children. Kakashi froze, still in his fight, to gape at the little bombshell, all blown up. Haku stepped out of his ice and walked slowly towards the downed ninja.

They were halted however, when her body convulsed. It twitched and flung itself around the wood. Narue's legs trembling stood her arms and head hung downwards, with no life at all. They flinched however when her head whipped up to scream at the sky. Red chakra swirled around lashing at the mist, burning before it touched.

The people on the bridge could feel the heat coming off the girl, and shielded their eyes. When it was clear enough to look, they caught sight of little Narue standing with her arms to her side and her face lifted to the rain (it had started after Sasuke 'died'). A small smiled crept itself onto her face, and it grew to horrible lengths, revealing her canines.

Haku leaped back into his mirror, just in time it seems. Narue exploded from her position and appeared right where Haku just was, grinning and fist still in the smoking ground.

"May**be we **can tea**r your hea**rt ou**t eh? **Give **us so**m**e s**p**or**t?" her voice was hideous, as if two voices spoke at once. Her tongue came out and licked her lips, sliding over the long teeth with a slick sound that echoed around the bridge.

Haku jumped to another bridge, flinging a few needles and the crouching Narue's head. Her clawed hands shot to grab them; they crushed the metal and flicked them to the ground. Haku tried to retreat, but Narue was already between him and the mirror, and the only sight he saw again, was her red slitted eyes, and her claws before they gouged into his brown eyes.

Narue ripped her fingers out of his eye sockets, bringing the useless things with it. Haku screamed and fell to his knees, grasping at his eyes. Narue giggled with her new voice "**th**ere** no**w, I ju**st **don't w**ant you **is **al**l….**sh**all **we **g**e**t **st**ar**ted?" **she swiped at the side of his head, ripping off the ear, and also smacking off his mask.

Haku's face was fearful and in pain, it contorted and his eye sockets moved, not knowing what to do without any eyes. Narue kicked his chest, breaking a couple ribs near the lungs. She heard a snap and smiled, listening to his hitched breathing. The others on the bridge watched this brutality with horror, where was the little girl they knew?

Shikamaru couldn't stand it, "NARUE!!! STOP IT! THIS ISNT YOU! WHERE ARE YOU!? NARUE!!!" tears had built and now ran down one cheek. The girl turned to face him, and suddenly appeared right in his face, hand ready to swipe. About a foot away from contact, the claws stopped. Narue's face convulsed in pain and agony, she whispered to shikamaru, "Please…Shikamaru…help me….he's…hurting me…I can't…breath!...help me!"

Shikamaru didn't know what to do, the sounds from Kakashi's and Zabuza's fight came to his ears, as well as Haku's hurtful wails and cries. Shikamaru took his best guess and hugged her. (Yes folks I said hug.) Narue froze at the strange heat and feeling. She could feel the bad chakra leaving her, returning to its place behind bars.

She collapsed against Shikamaru's chest, sobbing her heart out. The boy who had been fighting Sasuke stood uncertainly, should he go to haku and help him? Or should he kill the girl and the others?

Strange enough there was barking in the mist, where Zabuza and Kakashi were fighting. Then there was a sparkling chirping noise, it sounded loud in the silent space. Taking one last look at Haku and the others, he bounded straight into the mist. There were clangs and the sound of a body hitting wood. Then there was clapping.

At the uncompleted end of the bridge, was a short, fat figure. He was pudgy and wore black round glasses; he was also smiling like a little weasel that just got a chicken.

"Oh lookie here, the big bad demon and his little followers couldn't even handle an old man and his brats. Well, Zabuza, you're out of the job, I've brought along some friends that may help." the mist around him cleared and revealed an army of men. They carried weapons and were grinning at the others on the bridge.

"Gatou you lying little pig!" Zabuza roared and pulled his sword from the ground, dashing straight at the man. Gatou eye's widened and he took a step back, watching the angry demon from hell close in on him. A sweep of his sword, and Zabuza had taken gatou's head off, jumping into the army soon after.

He was only able to chop down a couple dozen, before the injuries he sustained pulled him under, and to the army's mercy. The army rebuilded itself and looked angrily at the others on the bride. Kakashi clenched his teeth, he was too tired to fight them, and he doubted that his students were any better. Zabuza joined his subordinates in death's freezing hands.

Narue looked with a red face at all the men, and looked at what they were standing on. Quickly she pushed herself away from shikamaru, and dashed around Kakashi, ignoring their cries of protests. She halted about 2 meters away from the front line, and brought her fist up, pointing at the ground. Several of the men laughed, what could a little girl do by punching the bridge?

The answer was: lots.

Her punch landed, and a cloud of dust rose, then a great cracking sound. The bridge came out under the army's feet, and brought them down to a watery grave.

Narue fell into herself after and shook, crying. Kakashi ran forward and picked her up like a small child. Shikamaru was kneeling beside Sasuke, and yelled back over his shoulder, "He's alive!" Tazuna smiled, and sighed in relief, what a day, his smile disappeared however when he saw his daughter and grandson struggling in the hands of two very scared thugs.

Kakashi glared at them, he was in no mood to be irritated. The two men gulped at the look in the silver-haired man's eye, this could not end well.

* * *

End!

(Whine) I'm so tired right now! (Groan) I'm not good at writing fight scene either, but you all love me right?

Are you happy on what I did with the fighting's, I didn't follow the actual storyline, but I think it turned out pretty good.

What do ya think?

-mayu


	16. Chapter 16 Confusion

Okay, I know that the battle scene was gory, and was quite short, I personally pin the blame on my morbid personality and my awful skills at fighting fight scenes.

Can you guess what's coming up next? ...wel anyways enjoy!

-mayu

* * *

Innocence

Chapter 16

* * *

"WHAT?!" the birds scatter from their perches on the Hokage tower banisters. Iruka's yell was rather loud and urgent; scaring many babies causing them to cry, and making lots of parents curse the heavens.

Inside the mission room, team seven stood; well, they tried to stand. Sasuke and Narue were leaning on Shikamaru, while Kakashi had a hand on the boy's head, seemingly putting a lot of weight upon it as Shikamaru was panting and shaking with the effort of holding all three of them up. Kakashi had just told Iruka and Sandaime about their mission, adding the little detail that it was an a-ranked as an offhand comment.

Kakashi laughed lightly, "Oh it was nothing! We got out of it okay, only a ruptured spleen and 5 broken ribs for Sasuke, a concussion and ripped leg muscle for me, mental stress and overall exhaustion for Narue, and Shikamaru…well he's perfectly healthy!" Several listening sweat-dropped at the easy way he rolled their injuries off his tongue.

"Momochi Zabuza you say? Well, that's interesting. Anyways here's your payment, congratulations on completing a high level mission!" Sarutobi tossed out four wads of cash. (I'm using dollars if anyone of you asks…I'm not very good with foreign money.) They each let go of shikamaru to catch the money, allowing him to breathe once again.

As they were leaving the door, Kakashi stopped and waved his team through, staying behind to talk with the Hokage.

"Sandaime-sama, the seal has cracked." The serious look in Kakashi's eye drew Iruka's and Sarutobi's full attention.

"You're sure?" Kakashi nodded.

"At the bridge, she went into kyuubi state, and could not control her actions. She brutally murdered a boy, slowly and in pain. It took shikamaru to get her out of it, she says it hurts or her to think about it, I believe that the fox is interfering with her mind." The information silenced the men in the room, at least until Sarutobi let loose a very tired sounding sigh, his years catching up to him.

"We'll have to watch her, make sure she's okay, I can't risk the kyuubi breaking free, no matter how much I love that little girl."

* * *

Narue sat on her bed, neither of her family was home and she was thankful, she needed to think. She remembered clearly the feelings that came with the immense power that she had on the bridge. The huge hate and anger that drove her muscles, without her brain telling them to do it. Was it the kyuubi? Was he taking control?

She had felt the separate feelings and thoughts of another, another full of malice. The other one had taken joy and satisfaction in the way the boy screamed. The other one wanted to kill her teammates, not her. _Not her._ She wouldn't do those things...would she?

Narue curled up in a tiny ball, biting her lip to keep from whimpering. She couldn't do anything against such a powerful beast, there was no way. She was just a very tiny person with mental issues and the most powerful demon residing in her stomach.

One thing was certain; she didn't know who kyuubi was and who Narue was within her own body anymore.

* * *

"Sasuke, have you seen Narue around? I lost her after we left the mission room." Shikamaru ducked into the small ramen stand, finding Sasuke already there.

"Nope, she's gone; I thought she would be here." The pale boy answered, Shikamaru sighed heavily and sat on the stool beside his teammate.

"By the way, what happened on the bridge? I was….knocked out before anything happened." Sasuke admitted that he was beaten rather grudgingly, but was still curious as well. Shikamaru ran a hand down the length of his face, wondering where to start.

"Well, after you hit the deck, Narue as stabbed in numerous places by poisoned senbon, she hit the floor too; we all thought she was dead. After a few seconds she was up again, but…it…wasn't her… it was a different person all together. One who enjoyed torturing people, and that's..." Shikamaru squeezed his eyes shut, pausing. Sasuke said nothing, waiting for the other boy to continue.

"The other person in Narue's body...hurt…the boy she had been fighting...badly. She then came after me, but she stopped, she said 'he is hurting me, help me shika...help me.' She collapsed after. Gatou then came, and Zabuza died killing him. We were in no condition to fight, but Narue pushed away from me and punched the unfinished end of the bridge. It collapsed and took Gatou's army he had brought with him down to the lake."

There was silence between the two boys, both digesting the tale.

"So you're saying that Narue went berserk?" Sasuke tried to imagine the small girl killing so many people, but found he couldn't. Not with his imagination anyways.

"More than berserk my friend…and I'm going to find out what happened." The resolve in Shikamaru's eyes grew in Sasuke's as well, and they set out to find either Kakashi or Narue, either one could explain this, they were sure.

* * *

"Kakashi-sensei, quit avoiding the subject." The jounin sighed; he was cornered…in more ways than one. The man's back was pressed against two walls; the boys had ambushed him just as he left the tower.

"Alright, fine. I only hope that Narue won't kill me or anything else after I tell you. Narue is the container of the kyuubi no yokoi, the very same that attacked Konoha 13 years ago. The Yondaime sealed the monster within Narue, he meant for her to be a hero, but she turned out to be the village's scapegoat. Do you understand now?"

This new information immediately silenced the boys' questions. His explains quite a bit about their teammate.

"So you're saying…that Narue is the demon, The Kyuubi?" Sasuke's question earned him two death-filled glares from Shikamaru and Kakashi each.

"No! Narue is not a demon! I thought you'd know that by now Sasuke!" the harsh words from Shikamaru came out of Kakashi's mouth as well. The dark-haired boy shrunk back at the amount of venom put behind those words.

"I apologize I meant no disrespect." He hadn't menat to though; he was confused and spoke his mind.

Kakashi straightened and said, "Well, you should go find Narue, make sure she's okay. She knows about the kyuubi, but I'm afraid for her mental sate." He poofed away before either of his students could ask him further. They sighed and decided to do as he said; Shikamaru eyed Sasuke though, wondering if he understood what would happen if he ever hurt Narue.

* * *

The knocking on her door surprised her; she had not been expecting visitors. Blue eyes were curious as she made her way around the clutter in the living room to the door, peering into the peep-hole. Narue gasped, it was Shikamaru and Sasuke! What were they going to think, she had been so different on the bridge, do they hate her now?

After a few minutes of silent debate she settled for opening her door a crack and talking to them. As the light filtered in, she tried at speaking, "Y-yes shika-kun? Sasu-kun?" they looked at her sadly, the girl was obviously not having the greatest day. Her eyes were darkened, and her face was red and splotchy, as if she had been crying.

"Narue, can we come in?" shikamaru asked softly, watching her hesitate before opening the door wider. Stepping in, shikamaru and Sasuke sat themselves on narue's couch. There were no sounds in the apartment so it was safe to say that neither of her parents was home. They both waited patiently for Narue to sit opposite them, and when she did started to talk.

"We talked to Kakashi…"

* * *

This chapter has been cluttering up my com for a while and I just want to get it off my back! Ok so review, and tell me if theres anything wrong with it so I can fix it in the next chapter.

-mayu


	17. Chapter 17 Tanuki chan

Hello again! I'm so happy my story is liked so much! I'm surprised. But I am greatly saddened that the many people that visit my story…DO NOT LEAVE A REVIEW! Although I know it's your choice but for the love of Narue…PLEASE!

I'm done now…so let us continue!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

* * *

Innocence

Chapter 17

* * *

Narue smiled, they had talked, she had confessed her feelings and worries, and they had washed them away with kind words and comfort. Team 7 was once again, a team, a team that is under the torturous training of Anko and her 'friend' Ibiki.

"Hit Harder! You wuss! An academy student couldn't feel that hit! C'mon you sissy! Fight like a man! Or are you to weak to? LET'S MOVE IT TEAM SEVEN! DOUBLE-TIME, PICK UP THE PACE!" God have mercy on their poor souls.

"I'm going, I'm going! Stop throwing kunai you insane woman! Gaaah!" Shikamaru ran as fast as he could, barely able to get away from Anko's precious and sharp metal instruments of death. Narue was fighting about 10 of Ibiki's clones, dancing away from them and then totally mutilating mother earth by whacking it with her fist.

Sasuke punched a log over and over, trying to ignore the pain in his knuckles and the taunting of Ibiki. As it turned out, Kakashi was not around to teach his students, as usual. Neither of the other instructors knew where he was, probably curled up in a tree reading his porno books. Oh wait, there's his signature poof, he's here.

"Kakashi! A teacher is not supposed to be late! I've told you that before!" Anko yelled at him, even before the poof smoke cleared.

"Maa maa, be nice Anko-chan, I had to pick these up from the Hokage!" narrowly missing a kunai from the irritated woman, he leaped forward and stood in front of his students. Narue looked excited, Shikamaru bored and Sasuke…indifferent. No changes there.

"What is it?? What what what? Let me see!" Narue danced around Kakashi, trying to snatch the three pieces of paper in his hand. He laughed and patted her head, "Now, now, Narue-chan, be patient." The girl pouted but did as he asked, stepping back between the two boys, who looked slightly curious under their original expressions.

"Well, I had a little talk with the Hokage and the other instructors and I have decided…" he paused for effect, "…to enter team seven into the chuunin exams!" he eye-smiled at them all.

Narue squealed and launched herself at him, grasping his neck with her arms and almost choking him in her happiness. Sasuke smirked, Shikamaru smirked, Anko smirked, Ibiki smirked, Kakashi eye-smiled and Narue squealed…Strange people don't you think?

* * *

"What do you guys think is gonna happen in the tests?" Narue swung their arms. She had dragged both shikamaru and Sasuke off after they had signed their forms, not letting go of their hands. They were now wandering around the village, trying to pass the time until tomorrow, when en the exams started.

"Dunno, probably something to do with teamwork I guess." Shikamaru answered her, looking thoroughly bored. Sasuke didn't say anything, only scowled at the blonde's back, trying to retrieve his hand. After about five minutes of wandering, a 'rock' appeared behind them following. Narue gave no indication that it was following them, but both Sasuke and Shikamaru saw and sweat dropped at the attempt at stealth.

Shikamaru finally poked Narue's shoulder, gaining her attention, and cutting her off from what she was previously saying about 'squids and really big fishies'

She blinked at him, "what?" he simply poked his finger in the direction of the box-I mean rock. Narue blinked again before laughing and crying out, "KONO-CHAAN!" she pounced on the box, squishing it and hugging the three children inside. Their gasps and screams for mercy were ignored by the tiny blonde, who was a little over an inch taller that them.

Once the three were released and allowed a couple minutes to regain consciousness, Sasuke and Shikamaru were able to look them over. The girl had rosy cheeks and orange hair pulled into pig tails. The shorter boy had glasses and…snot dripping out his nose. (Ew) the apparent leader wore goggles and had a long blue scarf around his neck.

"Nee-chan! Come play with us! You promised!" the leader, (Kono-chan) cried at the blonde. She smiled and yelled "Okay!", running off behind the other three. The two boys left in the dust simply glanced at each other and came behind at their own pace. However, when they saw Narue and her followers disappear behind a corner and hearing the mini-blonde cry out they hurried faster and sped around the bend to see….batman's greatest fan holding Narue up to his eye level.

Batman's fan was glaring at the girl and saying, "I don't like it when little brats run into me…time for some punishment." He grinned evilly and the three cowering children gasped when he brought his hand up to punch the little blonde in his hand. He was stopped however, when _he_ was punched across the face first.

The punch sent him head over heels to ram up against the fence. Narue snorted from where she had landed and said, "Meanie." pouting a little bit and glowering at the downed boy.

The older blonde who we have not noticed yet but are now, squealed loudly and lifted the smaller blonde up from the ground, "You are just precious!" Batman's fan groaned and climbed to his feet, glaring at the blonde in the other's arms.

"You little brat! I'll teach you!" he reached around to his back and slid the mummy wrapped object off his back.

"Kankuro, stop making a scene, you've already dishonored our country enough." They all turned to look at the boy who hung upside down on the tree branch. He had red hair, a gourd on his back, dark circles around his eyes and the kanji for 'love' on his forehead. (Guess who)

"G-Gaara!" Kankuro stuttered, every portion of him screaming fear. Sasuke and Shikamaru frowned; they had not noticed him hanging there. Narue struggled in Temari's grip, surprising her and causing her to set the smaller on the ground. Narue bounced over until she was under Gaara, looking straight up at his unemotional face.

Her brows were drawn down, '_he feels very bad…kind of like what Anko-nee-chan said all the bad guys would be like. What did she say it was… killer intent?' _on an impulse, Narue reached up and poked Gaara's forehead, whispering loudly, "Do you know you have no eyebrows?" there was silence as all people near wondered what made her ask that question.

Gaara's eye twitched, the wind picked up and blew sand into everyone's eyes. Temari and Kankuro looked terrified, for the sand was gathering around Narue, who still had not moved from under the crazy insomniac. It swirled and rose around her, wrapping around her arms and legs; she only gave a startled gasp before it covered her head and engulfed her.

The red-headed raccoon had his hand out and was starting to squeeze when he felt something wrong. His sand was not squeezing the life out of the little girl inside; it was actually, moving outwards. It took a second but it finally exploded, sending sand everywhere. When it cleared it allowed Narue to be seen, perfectly unharmed and rocking back and forth on her feet, a fist out from where she had punched the cocoon of sand.

"That's not very nice tanuki-chan! You should at least let me defend myself!" she nodded and pranced away, to stand in front of Kankuro, who was still petrified, "You're not a very nice person…Kankuro-meanie!" she smiled at the confused boy and then skipped back over to Temari.

"I like you so you will be Temari-nee-chan!" she gave a quick hug to the fan-user's stomach and then ran back over to the two boys. Leaping on Shikamaru's back she began whispering to him, "Tanuki-chan is very scary, but I showed no fear! Just like Anko-nee-chan taught me!" as Shikamaru snickered, she settled herself and watched as she was carried away from the sand shinobi, Konohamaru, Moigi, and Udon following behind.

The sand siblings were silent, until Gaara disappeared from the tree to reappear in a burst of sand in between his siblings.

"Let's go." And he smiled; there were interesting people in this exam….but….'_Tanuki-chan?'_

* * *

Yes yes I'm sorry, I've been sick this whole week so I haven't been able to update…but I have now!

I think that the meeting of Gaara and Narue went well….don't you?

Moiji is her name right? I can never remember. please tell me

Review please! and give your opinions on wha should happen during the exams!


	18. Chapter 18 Exams Have Begun

Hello and yes I thank you Tempest07, gaisensei and La-Avenger for telling me her name is Moegi…..I always forget that!!!

To answer your questions Lady Laran, for the first, there is a catch to the mind-wipe jutsu that was set on her and will be revealed later on...you simply must be patient!

And for the second one, I apologize for not mentioning this or making it clearer, but Tsunade and Shizune is working full-time at the hospital, which takes up most of a person's personal life, I know that much, and since she is the best medical person she has many things to do.

Jiraiya is usually doing two things, one, he's with Sarutobi, going over and planning for the Chuunin exams and I would think it has lots of issues that would need to be solved or taken care of, (like: medics, security, diplomatic relations, feudal lords coming etc etc.) and the other is gathering information, on things such as the Akatsuki, and…well…lets just say Kakashi's little orange book (wink wink)

I hope that clears some things

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, (mayu cries her heart out, with only the thought of this fic as comfort)

Now that that's over, enjoy!

* * *

Innocence

Chapter 18

* * *

"Oh my…." Narue said staring at the crowd of people bunched in front of the admission doors. Apparently two genin drop-outs were blocking the doors saying things like, 'You're just going to fail anyways!' and 'You shouldn't even try!' They had apparently fought back a couple people, and it was shown when one back-handed a bun-hair-styled girl onto the floor.

Sasuke finally growled and pushed his way to the front, leading the way with Narue behind him and Shikamaru after her. It was kind of finny because there were many people who thought Narue was an 8/9 year old child, and they gaped because she carried herself like someone who could fight (and she can!). The crowd parted for the last Uchiha, so in little time team seven stopped before the two barring the door

"Move out of the way, I would like to enter the exam." Sasuke said loudly, catching the attention of the genins. One stepped forward smirking, "and what makes you think you're qualified to go through this door?"

Sasuke didn't answer so Narue leaned forward, putting her hand to her mouth as if sharing a secret, "We're on the second floor dummy!" the genins behind her gasped and started to whisper. The exam was supposed to be on the third floor. The drop-out genin, the one who spoke up, glowered at the crowd and at the mini-blonde, finally deciding to rush her to maybe scare her enough to quit.

Dashing up towards the girl, he brought out a kunai, pointing it at the girl's chest. He was halted in a blink though, when three things happened. One, Sasuke was behind him with a kunai pointed at his back, two; Shikamaru was beside him, a kunai poised to slit his throat and three, Narue's hand was prepared to…flick his forehead?

"If we had been enemy ninja, you would have been killed." Shikamaru smirked and jumped away with Sasuke. Narue smiled happily at the genin and waved her other hand saying, "Bye-Bye!" and then she…flicked…and the drop-out went _flying. _Hecrashed into his partner, and slammed them both into the wall, leaving cracks and indents.

Narue giggled as she, Shikamaru, and Sasuke all waltzed through the doors and continued on, ignoring the gaping crowd behind them. A long haired girly-boy…I mean long haired boy with pupil-less eyes watched them leave and smirked, maybe these rookies aren't really rookies at all.

Walking along the hallway, team seven was silent, preoccupied with their own thoughts. How will this test start? End? They were interrupted when they turned a corner and found it blocked again, but this time with their instructors.

"(Cough cough)…It's good to see…. (Cough cough)….you guys here (Cough) today." Hayate coughed into his hand, offhandedly catching Narue, who on first sight launched herself into a group hug with the three of them.

"Yes! It's great that you're here! Now you can go in there and kick some serious ass!" Anko exclaimed, earning a yell from Narue. Kakashi nodded and eye-smirked behind his book at the three before motioning his head to Sasuke, taking him off to the side from the group. As Sasuke joined him away from his teammates, Hayate also took Shikamaru away, and Anko crouched to her knees to speak to Narue.

With Sasuke and Kakashi

"Sasuke, during this test you will have to fight many people, and I have decided to give you these," the jounin brought two large wrapped scrolls from behind his back, carefully settling them in the boys arms, "I give you permission to use this technique, but only if your teammates are in dire trouble." The serious glint in Kakashi's eye told Sasuke he was certain.

Fighting back the excitement and joy that came with holding his special weapons, Sasuke nodded gravely, ready to use them only for that purpose.

With Shikamaru and Hayate

Hayate handed Shikamaru a ceramic white scroll. It was small, easily held in one hand but Shikamaru's eyes widened and stared at it. Hayate nodded, "You'll need this in there, (cough) it's one of your best jutsu, and you might need it." Hayate nodded again, and hacked into his hand.

Shikamaru gripped the scroll and stuffed it into the small utilities pouch on the back of his belt, shifting his sharp weapons for better reach.

With Narue and Anko

"You realize that you may have to hurt, maim, or outright kill anyone in there, so I decided to give you these." The snake-woman held out two shin-guards. They had intricate gold metal work inlayed across them and seemed to be molded for a young girl's leg.

Anko smiled, "These I had specially made for you, to see what they do, simply gather chakra into them, and kick anybody who crosses you." Anko's smile widened into a devilish grin that was reflected, (if only slightly less evil) on Narue's face.

As the group came back together, the three genin asked no questions or comments on their new equipment. When they left around another corner, to enter the test the three sensei's all poofed away and reappeared in a different room, one filled to the brim with all the different jounin sensei's of the teams participating.

Kurenai looked at them curiously, "What did you give those three?" her answer was a chorus of "Nothing"s, and three identical, large grins.

* * *

"Woooa." Narue's simple word brought a nod from the two boys with her. The room they had just stepped into was filled to the ceiling with Different genin from many different countries. Since every time a team stepped into the room, they all directed their full killer-intent on them, they were **all **surprised when it was reflected back at them….but only more severely.

Most of them turned away immediately, but some didn't and only continued surveying them. These 'some' included Gaara, some chick from grass, and another leaf, one they had not seen before who had glasses and silver hair.

"SASUKE-KUN!" two identical cries came from two directions, just before a pink rhino and a yellow boar came flying in, to crash-land on the poor boy. Sakura and Ino squeezed his head between them, glaring at each other from across his duck-styled hair.

Behind the two came their teams, Chouji who was smiling happily, Kiba who was laughing his ass off, Hinata who was shyly blushing and poking her fingers together, and the still silent Shino.

"HINATA-CHAN!" Narue launched and brought Hinata down with her in a giant hug. Still on the floor, the blonde hugged and nestled on the blue-ettes stomach, smiling brightly. Those around smiled at the eccentric blonde and her shy companion.

Kabuto stood by and observed them interact, much like one would with bugs. His dark eyes glinted behind his harry potter glasses, and he pushed them up when they fell. Yeees, Orochimaru-sama will be pleased, the Uchiha is coming along lovely, and the time will come to convert him over to sound. However, that little blonde, she is radiating large amounts of chakra, but she des not seem to be all in the head. Maybe this will interest his master.

Kabuto smirked before moving over to the little group, plastering on a happy, polite face.

"You're being awfully noisy, well, that's to be expected by rookies." The voice came from over to the left, and they each turned to see the speaker was the leaf Nin with the glasses.

Kiba scowled, "And who are you to say that?" Narue popped up from behind his shoulder, "Yeah!"

Kabuto smiled again and said, "oh, sorry! Let me introduce myself! I'm Yakushi Kabuto, nice to meet you." His introduction was accepted mostly by teams 10 and 8, but team 7 continued peering at him with narrowed eyes, well at least Sasuke and Shikamaru did, Narue smiled and hopped onto his back from Kiba's.

"Hi! My name is Narue, and that's Kiba and Hinata, and…" she continued with the introductions one at a time, with Kabuto tensed under her, at first she thought it was because he was unused to having a little girl on his back. When she finished she stared into his face, troubled and uncertain. He didn't feel right….as if he was covering something, something important.

When Kabuto started talking again, Narue bounded off, slipping away from the group to lean against Sasuke's side, whispering urgently.

"Sasu, the boy doesn't feel very nice, it's almost like…it's…not him?" she didn't know how to explain it, but tried harder at his confused face, "as if he's covering himself…is this important?" Shikamaru, who had been listening, thought hard, telling Narue to act normal, at least until the white haired boy lets something slip.

"Yo! Shika! Narue, Sasuke! Come see this!" Kiba called from the group, they had had clustered around Kabuto while they had been talking. He was showing them all cards, and as they drew closer, they heard and recognized the name, "rock lee." (Kakashi had stupidly invited Gai and his clone to a training session…ugh…the nightmares)

"Rock Lee, a taijutsu specialist, teammates, Hyuuga Neji and Tenten, and jounin leader Gai. Apparently has no talent in chakra as his coils are fried and incapable of channeling chakra. Has been in his team for two years, and has participated in 1-B rank mission, 7 C-ranks, and 59 D-ranks. Sounds strong."

Team seven's boys looked at each other and they both knew at once, this boy is not what he says to be. Shikamaru leaned down to notify Narue, and shushed her when she gasped loudly, attracting Ino's attention for a second. Of course she immediately turned away, leaving Narue to say, "Is he a bad guy in-infi…"

"Infiltrating and he might be, we're leaving it to you to tell Ibiki, remember how he let slip he was proctoring?" Narue nodded fast and stayed quiet. Kabuto then said something that apparently pissed off the sound team enough to rush him. Team seven stood by and watched as Kabuto jumped aside and then puked his guts out from the sound waves.

A poof at the front of the room came with a bellow as well, "YOU MAGGOTS, QUIT FIGHTING OR DDO YOU WANNA BE DISQUALIFIED?" The familiar voice of Ibiki and his signature trench coat were familiar to the team, but not the others who gulped at the man's scarred face.

"NOW SIT DOWN IN FIVE MINUTES OR YOUR OUT!" as the genins scattered to find their seats, Narue ran straight for the interrogator. She stopped beside his leg and pulled on the long coat to get his attention. Ibiki at first tried to ignore the pull but finally gave in when a strong one attempted to strip it off his shoulders.

He knelt down to the girl's height, ignoring the odd stares from the other genins. His face slowly hardened at the information coming from the girl, when she was finished he quickly straightened and told her off. The blonde ran fast and was quickly in her seat, three rows back. Many eyes followed her curiously, and she paid no mind, she was too busy staring and smiling for that.

"Today, we will be participating in chuunin exam part one, and genin," Ibiki grinned hideously, letting loose his killer intent. "I will be your proctor."

* * *

Bahahahaha

Finish! Half way through the first exam and tension has begun!

reveiw plz and let me know your opinions on the exams! ;p

-mayu


	19. Chapter 19 Exam Part Two

Hey! Yes I know it's been a while but please….I'm not a miracle worker, nor am I an angel sent from heaven to update every day (whose saying I'm not? ;) ) but I am doing my best…AND THAT'S WHAT COUNTS! Anyways

Also another reason why I have not updated….im working on another thing…a novel actually, and im spending most of my time on that instead of this….

Anyways**….onwards with the typing! **

(Sniff)…I…(sniff)…do not…(sniff)(sniff)..Do not own Naruto…(sob, sniff, sob)

Innocence

Chapter 19

The scratching pencils filled their ears in the large room. The multitude of genins silently and frantically tried to complete their exam. One blonde stood out however, she sat, legs swinging over the chair edge, tilting her head side to side, chewing on the eraser at the end of her pencil, and fiddling with a tip of hair.

Her large blue eyes were fixed on the man in front, Ibiki. The dark trench coat wearing man had become unsettled, for the girl had been staring since the exam had started, which was…30 minutes ago. Now, Ibiki would never admit it but he was worried since the small blonde had not once put that pencil on the paper, and also with only 15 minutes left in the test.

Suddenly, Narue's face changed, she smiled widely, and stooped over her paper scribbling. She was moving at an insane rate, and in about 9.56 minutes, she was finished. Ibiki suddenly thought of something and looked down to her chair legs, catching sight of the darker shadow flitting away from her. Ibiki smiled mentally, Shikamaru's family jutsu was almost perfect, and he could meld his own shadow to all the shadows nearby, and lengthen it to reach Narue, a genius.

"DROP YOUR PENCILS! ITS TIME FOR THE 10TH QUESTION!" his bellow actually echoed in the now deathly silent room. Taking a moment to revel in the quiet, Ibiki got down to business.

"The tenth question is the most important; it counts for about….75 of your overall grade in the first exam." The murmurs and gasps interrupted him and he glared, letting slip some K.I. for good measure. It was silent once more and he continued, "However, there is a choice you must make. Will you or will you not take this question?"

Many of the genin were confused and it showed, "If you choose NOT to take the question…..you will not be able to participate in any chuunin exams." One brave genin at the front raised his hand and asked a question, "You mean, not participate until the next one? In 6 months?" He sat back down sweating under Ibiki's gaze.

Ibiki smirked mirthlessly and cold, saying lowly, "No, for your entire life." This caused uproar, to give up the chance to ever move past the rank of genin, just to pass one silly exam? Ibiki's voice rose over the others, continuing in his hard monotone.

"However, you have the choice to quit this exam and wait for the next one…but….your teammates will be disqualified also." The tension was high in the air, and stifling in the room. Finally, one genin stood up, head hung and sad, "I quit…sorry Gin, Niami." The defeated team trooped out, and others soon followed.

Team after team left and little Narue was scrunched up in her seat, worrying over her nails, troubled. If she quit, Sasu and Shika would be mad at her, but if she continued, she would lose the chance to ever pass the chuunin exam. She didn't want either of those, and in her distress, her eyes started to flicker from Shikamaru to Sasuke and back again.

At one such flicker, Shikamaru glanced over and somehow sensed her distress, smiling lightly. A Quick glance to Sasuke showed that he was staring at her, although not smiling, but a lifting of the corner of his eyes and the slight softness in his dark eyes were enough for her to deduce that he was. Feeling at ease again, she returned to looking at Ibiki…certain that her teammates will not be angry.

Ibiki noticed the girl's shining eyes soften and become secure…he smiled, (something he rarely did)…although it was more scary than any other person, as the whole room shivered in anticipation and fear.

When there was silence once again, and genin's stopped standing up, Ibiki gravely said, "Is that it? You all are willing to lose your chance of ever being higher than a genin, all for this one question?" with no sound, only tension and high stress levels Ibiki said, "Okay then, you all pass!"

"WHAT?!" it was the sand female, she stood up ad slammed her palm on the desk.

"That's right, this exam was created to test your information gathering as well as how well you deal with stressful situations. You chose to be a ninja, not a gardener, you have to deal with risky choices and have to have the balls to go through with them. So basically congratulations, this part of the exam is over." He stopped, as if waiting for something to happen, and after about 5 minutes of nothing he sighed.

"CRASH!" a purple ball smashed through the left side window, four kunais sprang out and pinned a large sheet of fabric across Ibiki's face. Anko stood up in front of the genins and hollered, "TIME FOR THE SECOND PART OF THE EXAM! NOW FOLLOW ME!" nobody moved. Ibiki sighed, moving out from behind the sheet he said, "Your late Anko….again."

Anko looked hurt, "too bad, usually I'm early but whatever." She turned back to the still-sitting genins, "well? GET MOVING!" still they did not move.

Well not all of them. Narue giggled and sprung up from her seat, standing on her desk, "HAI!" but instead of going to the door, she turned around and launched herself into Shikamaru's open arms, smiling lightly.

"Shika-chan! Carry me there!" and nestled her face into his neck. He only sighed, and kept moving towards the door, with the blank Sasuke following him. About a foot out the door, a holler echoed back to the other genin and proctors.

"BYE-BYE IBIKI-CHAN!" Ibiki smashed his hand to his face, turning around swiftly to hide from the amused stares of the examiners lining the walls.

"-chan?" one dared to say, and consequently was helped out the window by Ibiki. (SPLAT!)

"This brats, is your next playground, otherwise known as the Forest of Death." A slight tremor went through the crowd of genins, at Anko's words. Most of the teams clustered together, trying to not piss themselves at the sight of the humongous and quite terrifying forest before them. Anko grinned sadistically, trying to ignore the fact that Narue, Shikamaru and Sasuke were participating in a game of "Eye-Spy"

"You teams will be locked in that forest for five whole days, each of them will be given a heaven or earth scroll" she held up each mentioned scroll "you will have the whole time-period to find and capture the counterpart scroll from another team and them get to the tower in the centre of the forest….with me so far?"

After a few seconds she smiled cheerily while holding up a white sheet of paper, "Of course, you will have to sign your name at the bottom of this form before you enter, just so I wont be sued if you never come out again." One insignificant genin from Ame raised his hand.

"What are we signing to again?" Anko glared at the boy for making her talk more, and he quailed under her gaze.

"This form basically says you entered this forest at your own risk, and if you die, your village and families can't say we tricked you or anything…so basically you're signing your own death." She smiled again.

Several audible gulps were heard, along with a quiet, "Eye-spy with my little eye something that is…purple!" "Anko-sensei's hair!" "Awwwe." Anko sighed loudly, and just gave out the forms, silently promising to upgrade Team seven's training regime. Her bloodlust and killing intent scared the poor cloud-girl in front of her shitless.

And Team Seven blatantly ignored it, choosing to simply continue their exciting game.

Branches went by so fast she couldn't even see a clear picture, Narue bounced along behind the two boys ahead of her, jumping from tree to tree.

The team had ambushed a poor little Rain team and had taken their scroll, just as the gates had opened, and were now on their way to the tower. In the back of Narue's mind there was restlessness, and it was making her slightly less aware. Narue kept up with the boys and looked around.

It was until a great wind cut them apart. Sasuke and Shikamaru stuck kunai's into the threee wood, but Narue was in the air and was blown into the bushes.

A laugh sounded around them.

"Kukukuku, Sasuke-kun. I've come for you."

God im exhausted.

Anyways update.


	20. Chapter 20 Exams Part Three

I'M ALIVE!!!

WORSHIP ME.

No, but at least be happy :D

ENJOY!

I do not own Naruto

-mayu ;p

Innocence

Chapter 20 **REWRITTEN**

Shikamaru and Sasuke were quick to set their backs to each other, holding a kunai each, turning to peer into the dark forest around them. Laughter echoed towards them, and a figure slowly stepped forward out of the bush, revealing a large straw hat. It was the long haired ninja from grass.

"Who are you, what do you want?" Sasuke asked harshly, tense, and on guard.

The grass-nin laughed his eerie laugh, "Kukukuku, Sasuke-kun….I want _you._" The Uchiha blanched, not even trying to imagine why the pedophile wanted him.

Shikamaru stood beside him made a small sound, a little tiny, "Ewe" but it was enough for the foreign ninja to notice, and it also brought his - her? - attention. The freaks suspiciously long tongue exited his mouth and proceeded to lick his bottom lip, smiling widely.

The person took off their overly large hat and pulled out an earth scroll. The one they needed.

"Do you want this?" she asked, and not even waiting for an answer, she stuck out her incredibly long tongue, and _swallowed_ it. Shikamaru shivered at the sight, and Sasuke watched on as the bulge went down her throat in a sort of irresistible horror.

"Now Sasuke-kun, lets play!" suddenly the woman flew at him at incredible speed, bringing out a kunai.

"Owiiie…that hurt!" The groan came from little Narue, who lied still across a tree root. The wind had flung her away from her team had slammed her into numerous trees and finally she had landed on this root, not the most comfortable ride.

Sitting up, she dazedly looked around, trying to make the world not upside-down. When she succeeded, there was silence in the empty clearing for a moment, and she began to get a little unnerved.

"Shika-kun?" her voice echoed back to her, halting any other words as she listened to it. A squirrel chattered at her somewhere farther up the tree, and she turned to watch him move in and out of his hole.

The peace was broken however, when a great crashing noise to her left interrupted it. Out through the trees a great creature came, it slithered to a stop before her, towering up hundreds of feet.

A Giant Snake.

Narue could not move because something stirred beneath her heart, something she could not name. This unknown feeling soon boiled up and suddenly burst out on the poor creature.

"**SNAKY-CHAAAAAAAN!" **the tiny girl ran up the side of her tree until she was level with the snakes head, and then she leaped. Falling flat on her face in the middle of the snake's forehead, Narue smiled and snuggled to it, arms widespread in a hug, sprawling out ike a brightly colored blemish on the greenish brow scaly skin. She had suddenly gotten big hearts for eyes and she rubbed the side of her face against the brownish green scales.

Of course, the snake, finding a tiny blonde person on his face hugging him, immediately adopted a kind of, 'What the Fuck' expression before he tried to whip her off.

Narue held on tightly with some chakra, and shimmied up to the snake's eye, it was the size of her head.

"Snaky Chan likes being my pet, and will help me get to my friends." Narue channeled some chakra into the snake's brain, causing incredible pain.

"Isn't that right Snaky-chan?" the fearsome warrior smiled brightly into the agonizing snake's eye, forever burning her image into his memory. Quickly, the snake swung his head up and down as a sign of yes and the girl let up on her chakra torture.

Turning around, Narue sat cross-legged on the snake's forehead, imperiously pointing her finger and commanding, "Snaky-chan, move out!"

Snake and girl disappeared into the foliage, leaving behind one very terrified squirrel.

Back with Shikamaru and Sasuke, they seem to be having some trouble with the long haired freak of a woman. Shikamaru had been kicked in the side, and the momentum sent him flying into a tree. Now he was clutching his stomach and coughing, blood erupting from his mouth.

Sasuke was no better; a punch to the jaw had sent him into a crater in the side of the tree. The woman followed after him, still quietly chuckling to himself. They were being beaten into the ground, and there was no chance for escape.

"Come now Sasuke-kun, your better than this, how will you defeat your brother with your strength like this?" the mention of his brother gave the right effect, the Uchiha's face darkened and his Sharingan suddenly sprang to life, whirling in his eyes, two comma-like dots in each.

"DON'T EVER MENTION HIM IN FRONT OF ME!!" he sprang forward, faster than ever, ignoring the cry from Shikamaru to stop. The woman smiled eerily, waiting for the survivor to reach him, and then blocking the foot that was sent to his face.

A taijutsu battle proceeded with the woman playing with the Uchiha, and it eventually ended when Sasuke tricked her into falling for his Ninja Wire and Fire Ninjutsu. (AN: no idea what it's called.) Sasuke smirked as the charred remains of the girl's corpse fell from the tree. It fell however when the remains melted into mud, and a breath sounded against his ear.

"Sasuke-kun, you didn't think I would fall for that would you?" When Sasuke jumped away and turned to her, he was soon joined by Shikamaru, who put a hand on his shoulder. The raven haired boy brushed it off and glared at the woman, Sharingan spinning angrily.

She spoke, smiling a sickeningly sweet smile, "Tsk, Tsk Sasuke-kun, how about I calm that little fighting spirit of yours? No matter how delightful it is." She grinned and suddenly sent an ocean of Killer Intent at the two boys, sending them to their knees.

"Kanashibari no Jutsu." (AN: is this the right one? well, there just frozen by her killer intent okay?)

Sasuke shook uncontrollably, different scenes of his own death flashing before his eyes. A kunai to the head, burn to death, slit throat. Her K.I. is even worse than Kakashi's! Both boys felt as if it would smother them. The woman laughed and decided to get rid of the other boy, the one with the spiky hairstyle, but not without playing with him a little.

She drew three kunai, and sent one right beside Shikamaru's face, drawing a deep red line that bled down his cheek. He felt the pain, but was unable to do anything, frozen in fear. Another imbedded itself in his leg, and the last stuck his shoulder. His blood ran sticky red trails down his arms, and he was released by the overcoming pain.

Thinking quickly, he pulled out the metal in his leg with a sickening _slick _sound. As his vision began to water he thought he saw a blonde mess hurtling out of the bushes below, and in the direction of the boys.

'_She's too strong! We'll die!' _Sasuke tried to stretch his hand to his kunai pouch, something Kakashi had said flashing underneath his deaths.

"_To break out of the control of K.I. you either have to be used to it, or cause yourself pain." Kakashi said, flipping a page in his book._

Just before he got to a kunai, there was a crashing noise to the left; he couldn't see anything but he heard a familiar voice.

"Sasuke-kun! Shika-Kun! Are you alright? Leave them alone you big meanie!" Narue, she was beside him, he could feel her presence, like a ray of sunshine felt on your skin. He heard the whispered healing jutsu as she tried to get the kunai out of Shikamaru's shoulder.

"Kukukuku, too late Narue-chan. I would love to play with the kyuubi container, but I'm afraid I must leave." Narue gasped when the grass nin's neck suddenly extended, mouth gaping wide. She shot her head right at Sasuke, intending to bite him and that's just when Narue's vision turned to red.

The blonde girl intercepted the grass nin's strike, and aimed a chakra punch to her head. She moved out of the way, but had to move again when Narue leaped after her.

Once the woman's concentration was broken, both Shikamaru and Sasuke were free of her K.I. they saw Narue jumping after the woman, exchanging punches and kicks, and from their point of view, Sasuke and Shikamaru could see that her once caring and bubbly blue eyes were now red and slitted. Just like what happened in wave.

"Narue!" Shikamaru stepped forward, he was halted though when the woman kicked the blonde girl in the chest so she collided with the pineapple haired boy. The blonde groaned into the boy's chest, lifting her head to glare at the woman.

"W**h**o a**r**e y**ou**?" even her voice was changed, it was rough and ghoulish, anger radiating off her in waves, "**yo**u fe**e**l li**k**e a **snake**!" the woman laughed.

"How about I show you, little jinchuuriki?" the woman reached up, and to the horror of the Team, _peeled_ off her face like it was a glove, revealing pasty white skin, golden, slitted eyes and purple eye shadow that reached down to his nose. (AN: eww)

"I am Orochimaru." Shikamaru and Sasuke gasped, and Narue's glare deepened. All three recognized the name, but for different reasons. Shikamaru and Sasuke knew from remembering back to their academy days to a lecture on the Sannin, and Narue knew from when Jiraiya and Tsunade had gotten drunk one night, and blabbered to their young daughter.

Orochimaru spoke again, "Now Sasuke-kun, I'm going to leave you a little present." Once again, he extended his neck, and once more, was stopped by a snarling Narue.

Her hair had been released from her pig-tails and now was being flung wildly about; the red chakra of the kyuubi whirling around her, her eyees glowing red angrily.

"Don't you, hurt my **FAMILY**!" Narue roared, suddenly appearing beneath Orochimaru, swinging her leg up and putting all her strength and chakra behind it, kicking the snake-man. The carvings on her leg bracer glowed golden for a moment, and Orochimaru was knocked into the air, the kick suddenly being three times as stronger as the kicks before.

At one point, Orochimaru grabbed Narue's leg, and flung her to a tree, immediately appearing to kick her in the side. Snake-man proceeded to hammer Narue from all sides, thoroughly beating her, not once letting her breath.

Shikamaru and Sasuke could only watch as their teammate was pummeled into the air. Shikamaru had given up trying to get the kunai out of his leg, and watched in frightened dismay as the one he cared about most was crushed by a fruitcake. (HINT HINT)

Sasuke was still frozen, and sad to say was still petrified of the grass nin.

'_We'll never defeat her, she's too strong! Maybe if we surrendered he'd leave us alive!" _Sasuke trembled as he got the scroll out of his pouch and called to the grass nin.

"Stop! If we give you our scroll will you leave us alone?" even his voice uneven with fear, and all those around him looked in surprise at his pale face. Sasuke's eyes flickered to Narue, and for some reason his heart faltered when her beautiful eyes showed confusion and….betrayal?

"Sasuke you moron! He'll kill us without a second thought you imbecile! Are you that cowardly Uchiha?!" Shikamaru yelled at him harshly, glowering at him with a strange and unfamiliar look of anger and disappointment.

Sasuke twitched; flashes of how much, and how _long_ he had been training, and was it all for naught, would it all be for this moment, when he _cowered?!_ Something inside him suddenly became overwhelmed with disgust and contempt for himself. Was he so weak he'd be afraid of this creep? He was an Uchiha dammit! AN UCHIHA!

Sasuke's eyes bled into red, his Sharingan had finally awakened. (After several YEARS!) He charged the woman/man head long; bring out the two little scrolls Kakashi had given him. In a quick movement, he had run a little blood up the opening, and with a poof, the scrolls released their occupants.

Two large shuriken suddenly emerged out of the cloud of smoke, but these were no ordinary shuriken. They were about 10x the size of a regular one and had serrated edges. They shot like bullets towards the Sannin, who smirked and dodged to the left, ignoring the weapons.

"Now now, Sasuke-kun, what makes you think I'll fall for tha—" he broke off when another large shuriken type thing came out from behind him, formerly hidden by the foliage.

He dodged to the right, and found another spinning at his face. Orochimaru bent his upper body and found Narue there suddenly; golden glowing leg raised and in a split second, collided with his face. The snake-man's body shot into a tree branch, and laid there still. Narue and Sasuke stopped attacking, watching the body for any tricks.

They were almost relieved until the corpse on the branch melted into a mud clone, and the real Orochimaru appeared in front of Narue.

The girl had no time to counter before the man had stuck his glowing purple fingers into her stomach, right into the seal.

Orochimaru laughed when Narue cried out in pain, and watched as her body fell to the tree, curled around her stomach. Shikamaru yelled wordlessly as she tumbled, Sasuke gaping, above him in another tree.

Narue was barely awake, as her vision darkened, she heard Orochimaru giggle in his insane, disgusting way, and she fought to wake herself. Orochimaru moved away from the girl, his eyes rested on Sasuke and he smirked.

Sasuke, who was still caught up in the sight of the unstoppable Narue curled in pain on the branch, didn't notice the four snakes that slithered around the tree to position themselves around him.

A sign from Oro, and the snakes struck, tightening their muscled bodies around the Uchiha's arms and legs, holding him still.

"What?!" Sasuke's eyes were wide as he looked at Orochimaru, who began the chain of handseals he had done twice before.

The snake-man's neck extended, shooting incredibly fast for the pinned down Sasuke's neck.

Narue opened her eyes blearily, barely managing to hold onto fleeting consciousness. The seal burned, her head pounded and she could see Orochimaru stretching towards Sasuke. She couldn't move, only watch in horror as one of her precious people was bitten, flinching at his scream of unbearable pain, and yet, she could do NOTHING!!

At that moment, Narue was in more pain than Sasuke.

HOLY HELL!

AFTER MANY MANY MANY MONTHS OF SITTING ON MY HANDS!

I have brought you this. :D

-mayu

Ps REVIEWW!! I NEED HELP!

Pss I will be putting the next chapter in when its finished, but do not expect anything special. I just got back from many vacations, so my brains a little fried.


	21. Chapter 21 Exams: Under the Tree

Ok ok, I kno u guys all really really really wanted another chapter, and sorry for not being here

But I had some trouble….

Its over now

So

Be happy hahahaha ^.^

-mayu

Innocence

Chapter Twenty-one

'_Troublesome test, troublesome sound genin hiding in the bushes, troublesome Orochimaru, troublesome TEAMATES! DAMMIT! TROUBLESOME TROUBLESOMENESS!!" _yes, you could say Shikamaru wasn't on his rocker at the moment. Being majorly pissed off, on the verge of exhaustion and in the middle of a deadly forest filled with people out for his life, was not the greatest thing for the boy's blood pressure.

'_When this is over, I'm gonna get in my bed, and Never. Come. Out.'_

Footsteps signified that the sound-nins had finally left the safety of the bushes to stand about twenty feet away from where Shikamaru sat, his unconscious teammates laying behind him.

"Oi! You! Hand over the Uchiha so we can kill him!" the one at the front cried arrogantly, his spiky hair shooting out at odd angles, his grin savage.

"Sorry, no can do!" Shikamaru called back sweetly, inwardly cursing. He barely had any energy left to stand, his injuries throbbing up a storm.

Looking back, he saw Narue seemingly in a deep sleep, barely even breathing, while Sasuke twitched violently beside her.

He was sweating, and his face told he was in great pain. The hickey on his neck glowing an eerie purple, and seeming to pulse.

"Well, if you can't, I'll just have to kill you myself!" Zaku grinned, already sure of his victory. He made a move to step forward, but was halted by his mummy teammate.

"Can't you notice the traps? He's laden the area with them." Dosu glared at the pineapple haired boy across the clearing, who at the moment was thanking his lucky stars he had spent the effort to protect the site he had picked. Looking back at his teammates, Shikamaru grimaced, he was alone for this.

"That's right, so you better stay on that side. It won't be long before my teammates wake up." Shikamaru reached into his pocket for the meager supply of kunai left. Taking out four, he held them within his fingers, and let them fly, headed towards the stationary ninja.

They easily dodged them and the first one, Zaku, laughed. His amusement however, lasted only until he stepped on the hidden wire, the wire that was hooked up to five different kunai launchers, which subsequently launched eight kunais at a time. To say that the sound genins panicked for a bit would be an understatement, at least until Zaku remembered why he was a ninja.

"ZANKUUHA!"

A blast of air erupted from the nin's hand sent the incoming pointy objects to go hay-wire and shoot off into the forest surrounding them. Shikamaru scowled, his hard work was ruined by one shot. Wearily, Shikamaru stepped forward, away from the tree roots and his teammates. Reaching into his pack, he brought out the little white scrolls Hayate had given him before the exam started, holding it slightly behind his back and away from the eyes of the sound nin. Settling into a basic defensive stance, Shikamaru waited for the enemy nins to move.

Dosu, the mummified genin noticed how Shikamaru could barely stand with the wounds in both his right leg and shoulder, and quickly signed this new information to his teammates. Zaku and Kin smirked, and spread to each side, deciding to rush the boy and be done with him easily.

Shikamaru knew what they were planning, and took actions to stop that. Slicing his thumb on a kunai behind his back, Shikamaru, at the same time, threw his blood smeared scroll in the air and threw a handful of smoke bombs at his feet, to give him the time to prepare.

In short time, Zaku had blown away the smoke with his air blast, and revealed a smiling Shikamaru. Attached to each finger, a bunch of strings leading up to hovering pointy objects, a cloud of them hung over the pineapple haired boy's head, a BIG cloud, with a LOT of sharp things in it.

Smiling to the sound nins, Shikamaru thought to himself, with no little amount of worry, 'I _Can't keep this up for long, too many different chakra strings….if I can get them in one or two attacks, I'll be fine but any more then that I run the risk of chakra exhaustion…damnation!' _

With a thought and twitch of his hands, Shikamaru sent his puppet weapons flying at breakneck speeds towards the ninjas, even as they tried to dodge them, there was always one attacking from each direction, so none of them got off scott free.

When Shikamaru drew back his toys for a break, he was met with three pissed off and injured ninja. Zaku could only use one arm, as his other sported three disconnected shuriken and a large gash across his chest, below his collarbones. Dosu's bandages were sliced in many places, blood pooling and being absorbed around every wound, and Kin had a kunai in her leg and had large gashes about her shoulders.

Seeing Zaku bringing his arm up for another air blast, Shikamaru sent a third of his cloud to him, faster than before. This time, his attack disabled the nin's other arm, rendering him useless.

Shikamaru could feel his knees buckling and shaking. Already he was tired. Glaring in disgust at himself, he put a hand on the tree covering his teammates and leaned, trying to make it seem as tho he as not tired, and not about to collapse.

"I'll kill you!" Zaku was pissd beyond belief, and so, with acrazed glint in his eye, he grabbeda kunai withhis teeth (dotn ask how, hes a ninja) and sprinted towards the boy. Shikamaru's eyes widened, he couldn't dodge this.

10 feet

5 feet

2

_Slick_

The kunai had punctured and slid into flesh, but not Shikamaru's. Opening his closed eyes, he gasped in horror and dismay.

Narue stood there, blue eyes happy, her small hands grasping Shikamaru's harms, and Zaku's kunai knife buried deep into her back, right into her left lung. Coughing up blood, Narue weakly smiled and said, "H-hi, S-shika." The little blonde collapsed, from shock, blood loss and pain.

Shikamaru's heart couldn't comprehend, but his brain could._ 'the kunai is too deep to remove here, the blood loss will kill her, with only the use of one lung and bleeding internally, she would have a max of ten minutes to live. We're maybe three miles from the tower, and even longer still to get help. but i have to save her, oh my god-"_

"NARUE!"

Shikamaru dropped to his knees, holding the limp blonde in his arms. She was so small. Her smiling face came to his mind and he let out a grief-filled wail.

"Shikamaru, will she live?" Sasuke's voice suddenly came out of the forest's sudden silence, and shika lifted his tear streaked face to look at the purple enveloped Uchiha. The boy was surrounded by the evil purple chakra of Orochimaru, hate and anger and power radiated from his stone cold face.

"In ten minutes without help…she'll be…dead." Shikamaru chocked on more tears, and bent his face over the little blonde bombshell whose light suddenly seemed so dim.

"You hurt her," Sasuke said to the sound nins, his voicea parody of his normal one, "now I'll hurt you."

The resulting fight wasn't really a fight, more of a game of cat and mouse. The nins ran with their injuries, and Sasuke ran after them, hunting them down. A kunai to the spine for the kin girl, a hard punch to the head for Zaku and Dosu screamed when he was kicked so hard, multiple ribs cracked.

Sasuke was about to go in for the kill when Shikamaru's yell stopped him. "Sasuke! We have to get Narue to the tower! NOW!" the pineapple haired boy had already started running, the limp figure clutched tight to his chest.

Sasuke's purple chakra suddenly thinned out and diminished, and he was left staring at his hand.

'_What is this power, its so strong. I felt like I could do anything. Is this what Orochimaru promises?'_ Sasuke clenched his hands and leaped away, leaving the three sound nins to death.

* * *

Narue was in the chamber again. The pain she had felt when the kunai ripped out her insides was gone, leaving only a faint impression. She was alone again, alone with the fox.

But she couldn't feel or hear the fox.

It was like he wasn't even there.

Walking down the corridor, she was interested in the different colored doors. Choosing the first blue one she saw, she opened it and peeked in, apprehensive of what was inside.

Inside it was a sunny day in a clear green field. No civilization was in sight. In the center of the field sat a little blonde girl, a younger Narue. The little girl was playing with some flowers laughing and smiling happily, unawares that the other older Narue was watching.

A sudden sound distracted the young Narue from her flower playing, a short little yip from the bushes and rustling. A young fox tumbled out, its fur a glossy orange and feet, snow white socks.

"Hi there! What your name!" young Narue exclaimed, holding out a hand to the fox. Not answering, the fox crept forward and sniffed at the girls hand. Giving it a lick, he enticed giggle from the girl and she started to pet him.

The duo sat there for a while, trading little pleasures such as a scratch behind the ear, a nuzzle, a lick or two.

Older Narue stood watching this, and suddenly felt a pull to her midsection. The sunny afternoon was being swallowed by the dark and clammy sewer. Frowning, Narue tried to open the same door, but found her hand passing through the doorknob.

Turning away, she continued down, looking through the doors and watching her memories play out. She smiled at the happy ones with her family and friends, frowned at the sad ones and basically enjoyed watching her life once again.

At the last door, the color of it was red and the doorknob had a lock on it. Narue contemplated on this for a little before she came up with a brilliant idea.

Pointing at the big padlock on the doorknob, she said commandingly and imperiously, "Go away." and the lock, disappeared. Smiling to herself, she opened the door and entered.

She was on a street in Konoha, a dark and dreary day, the sky threatening to rain. The street was pretty much empty, and Narue was confused and slightly bored for a little.

Faintly, and growing louder, she could hear running footsteps and angry yelling. Looking down one end of the street, she could barely make out a running fugre, with a shock of yellow hair and short enough to be a child.

Behind the running child was a screaming mob of angry citizens, wielding a number of different kinds of weapons. When the running people came closer, Narue gave a start when she realized the running child…was her.

She was barely six years old, tears streamed down her face, and she was panicked.

Taking a wrong turn, the running Narue ended in an alley and the older Narue ran to follow her, staying ahead of the mob. The older Narue started to cry as the mob closed in, pulling the screaming, terrified, younger Narue into their midst.

Cringing at every hit and scream, Narue yelled, "STOP IT! STOP!" they couldn't hear her, even feel her when she started to wail on them with her fists. In fact, her hands passed right through. Biting her lip, Narue suddenly pushed through the men blocking her from seeing herself, walking straight through them, she opened her eyes to see herself, bleeding, screaming, and hurt.

To see her fellow Konoha citizens so angry and triumphant to be beating on her, made Narue incredibly sad and heartbroken.

Noticing a change in atmosphere, Narue noticed a black haired Anbu pushing through the crowd, and a small hope pushed into her heart. It was crushed however, when the Anbu crouched down beside her bleeding body and take his mask off.

Narue gasped, it was an older version of Sasuke, with dark sleep lines running out of each eye. Looking into the younger, beaten girl's eyes, Uchiha Itachi turned his Sharingan on and muttered to himself.

"Memory Shatter no Jutsu."

The beaten Narue stilled, even when a kick or punch rocked her body, she did not take her eyes off of the Uchiha's red, spinning doujutsu. Uttering a shriek of pain and suffering, the younger Narue collapsed, staring lifelessly out, even as the mob closed around her, beating her to death.

Uchiha Itachi backed away, melting back into the crowd, his Sharingan eye causing people to shrink away from him.

Older Narue stood up shakily, feeling the familiar pulling away, and kept her eyes on Itachi as she was pulled away from this memory. Again, she was staring at the red door, not noticing when the lock appear again, and clicked shut on the memory.

Collapsing to her knees, Narue put her arms around herself, her minds eye filled with the spinning Sharingan of Sasuke's older brother.

And so she stayed, for how long she didn't know, but she stayed there on her knees in the dank dark, and only when a bright light and a voice called to her did she lift her head.

"Narue!"

* * *

There!!!!

How was that!

Review an give me some input, cuz I need some sort of help.

Hahaha!!

Hope u liked it ^.^

-mayu


	22. Chapter 22 Exams: Preliminaries

I have returned!

Here's another chapter.

Of the one and onlyyyyy

Innocence!

Hahhhahahha

-mayu

my god I'm so slow. Sorry guys

Innocence

Chapter 22

He sat outside the hospital room, not allowed to enter, for Jiraiya and Tsunade were discussing with the girl. Shikamaru, his arms grasped tightly over his chest hadn't moved from this spot since he had arrived, carrying the broken girl.

Sasuke sat across from him, staring into his right hand, fingering a cut he had received and eyes lost in thought. The hallway of the hospital was empty, and the two boys in it felt the silence was over-bearing and heavy. As if it was waiting as well as they were, wondering on the young blonde's fate.

The door to the room opened, and a haggard Tsunade stepped out. Her eyes were red from crying and her hair a mess but she was smiling a small relieved smile.

"She'll be fine."

At those words, Shikamaru bent forward, put his face in his hands, and didn't move, but the small drops on the floor spoke another story. Sasuke leaned back and sighed, closing his raven black eyes. Uchiha's don't cry.

Inside the room lay a little blonde girl, eyes blinking blearily, her father, Jiraiya stood over her. She held out a hand and the big man took it and bent over to kiss her forehead.

"We were worried for you little one. Don't ever do that again." Narue smiled and nodded drowsily. The door opened and in walked Shikamaru, his eyes watery and red, and Sasuke, his face empty of anything.

Shikamaru rushed to her immediately and hugged her; she patted his head and played with his pony tail. Once he stepped back, Sasuke stepped forward but was hesitant to hug her, remembering the look on her face in the forest.

Narue put an end to that, weakly holding out her small arms. She hugged him, leaning to him and trusting him to hold her up from falling off her bed. Sasuke's face melted from its cold exterior and he smiled a tearful smile, hugging her back hard.

"Now Now, leave Narue-chan to rest, I promise she'll be ready for the preliminaries in two days, ok?" Tsunade told them quietly, exuding that mysterious force that mothers world over seem to control.

It was a large chamber, with a statue at the end of it. The teams were lined up in front of the teachers, clan heads and the Hokage, waiting for some signal to start.

Sarutobi stood on the raised bit of cement, hands clasped and head bowed, as if contemplating something intricate and complicated. The teams stood uncertainly, wondering if they should say something, but hesitant to break the silence.

Suddenly, the doors clanged open, and in rushed a tiny, blue eyed blonde girl. She started at the left hand side of the teams, with team 8.

"HINA-CHAN! KIBA-KUN! I LOVE YOU!" a pause, "AND YOU TOO SAKURA!" Narue leaped into Hinata's arms and hugged the violet eyed girl.

"W-we love you too, N-Narue-chan." The soft-spoken girl emitted, passing the small one off to hug her teammates. Kiba rustled her hair and Sakura smiled a little, surprisingly happy to see the blonde. Laughing Narue jumped off of Kiba's shoulders and ran up to the Hokage, hugging his knees, Narue said, "Ojii-san…missed you!".

Sarutobi's heart swelled with the grandfatherly feeling he felt for this girl, and bent down to kiss her blonde head, "Missed you too Narue-chan." Narue beamed and jumped down off the raised cement. She ran to Chouji, gave him her sentiments and then ran towards her own team.

She slowed down after a couple teams, turned around and went back, stopping in front of the red-headed Gaara. It was a staring contest…on epic levels.

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…" Narue blinked.

"…" Gaara blinked.

"…"

"…"

"TANUKI-CHAN!" and then she hugged him.

Him.

Gaara.

She hugged Gaara.

_She Hugged Gaara_.

Anybody would say that this is the cause of the destruction of the universe, but the real kicker, that made a lot of people's jaw's drop, was the fact that Gaara didn't do anything.

He stood there, surprised and shocked, staring down at the little blonde head hugging his middle. Wondering why the HELL his sand didn't stop her. In his mind, Shukaku giggled in his own little perverse way.

And then she was gone, jumping into Shikamaru's arms, quickly hugging Sasuke and then taking her place in line. Finding her legs tired, she sat down and began drawing little doodles in the bits of dust and sand on the ground with her finger.

Sarutobi gave a chuckle before he started on the introductions, and a speech on what meaning is to the chuunin exams.

Narue, while sitting on the cold gray floor in the big room with so little people, thought back to how many had started the test, and dared not think about what happened to a majority of them.

Suddenly, a disturbance at the front caught her attention. A sickly man had jumped down and started to speak, coughing every once in a while into his hands. Narue recognized the man as Shikamaru's teacher, and decided to greet him.

"-and so, the winners from every fight will continue on to the third part of the exams, in one month-OOF!" Hayate stared down at the small blonde girl hugging tightly to his waist.

Silence, and then Narue moved her head to look up at the man, her chin resting against his stomach, "HI! What's your name?" Hayate blinked at her, coughed and then said, "Hayate." Raising a hand in greeting.

Narue registered this and then squealed once again, a big smile welcoming this man to her group of friends, "HELLO HAYATE-CHAN!" and then let go and ran back to her spot.

A sweat drop formed on the back of Sasuke and Shikamaru's heads as some of the other foreign teams glared at them for disrupting so much.

"Riiiight, anyways." Hayate coughed, drawing the word out, "in one month's time, the third exam will take place, now if you will please turn your attention to the screens, the first match will be displayed at random."

(AN: you all should know by now I'm too lazy to do every single fight, so I'm just going to do the important ones, you can imagine the others, please be patient until I announce the winners of prelims :D)

The screen scrolled to different names fast, finally settling on,

Nara Shikamaru

Vs

Yamanaka Ino

The dark haired boy sighed, a girl…again. Ino of course thought of Shikamaru as the lazy ass he had been in the academy, not taking into account that some people actually train and improve after the academy.

As the rest of the contestants left the arena, Ino and Shikamaru took their places across from each other, and waited patiently for the sign to start. Ino was confident, a smirk on her face and her hand dipped into her kunai pouch. Hayate gave each a glance before starting the match, darting back out of the way immediately afterward.

"Don't think I'll go easy on you Shika—" Ino started to talk, and sadly her words of wisdom were interrupted by several kunai all headed towards her face. While dodging, she failed to see Shikamaru appear behind her, but she did feel his knee contact her back and send her flying high into the air. Shikamaru took his two short swords off his hips and held them perpendicular to his body. Crouching, he sighted out Ino and launched his body towards her.

Meeting her in the middle of the air, using the flat sides of his swords, he gave the girl several bone crushing whacks on her ribs, arms and head. Finally, holding both swords in both hands, he brought them over his head and then brought them down sharply on the yellow haired girl's head, sending her flying to the ground with tremendous force.

It was an unrefined attack combo, newly thought out, and to Shikamaru's inner critic it was foolish looking. What made it really effective was that Ino didn't get up.

As the medics rushed into the chamber to help the broken Ino, Shikamaru climbed the steps, ignoring the proctors "Winner: Nara Shikamaru." The deer boy was tired, surprisingly so. Adrenaline didn't go well with him. But, when Narue tackle hugged him around the waist, he got the energy to smile and ruffle her hair.

"Good job Shikamaru! It was over so fast! The way you went _whoosh!_ was so awesome!" the girl continued to babble on, causing many to either tune her out or just smile and nod. Pretty much what you do to every little rambunctious child you ever meet.

"Next fight, Uchiha Sasuke vs. Uzuki Yoroi" (AN: I can't remember that guys name!)

Sasuke smirked confidently, keeping his Uchiha reserve, and walking down calmly from the watching platforms. Yoroi did the same, smirking confidently as well. when the fight started, Yoroi knocked Sasuke a round for a bit, sucking out his chakra as he did so.

Sasuke as getting angry and confused, and hen he began to perform his Lion combo on the other man, the curse seal flickered and awoke, sending hot streams of hateful power into his veins. (If your mind is in the seventh gutter, you're not alone.) Right when the anger was about to consume his mind, Narue's terrified and pained face came to mind and with a heart wrenching feeling he forced the seal back.

He never wanted to see the sunshine girl anything like that ever again.

Yoroi cracked his face into the floor, and Sasuke would have nearly done the same if it weren't for Kakashi holding his shoulder, "Well done, now come with me." Without giving the boy a chance to say anything, the jounin disappeared with him.

Hayate nodded, and turned to watch the screen ramble through names. It finally settled on "Uzumaki Narue vs. Hyuuga Neji." Hinata's intake of breath as evident, as was the stiffening of some people's backs. They knew this wasn't going to be an easy match for the girl, as the Hyuuga was powerful for his age.

The two were in the arena, Narue with a friendly smile, and Neji with his normal stoic face. Presenting her hand to shake Narue smiled, "May the best one win?" Neji considered her and the hand for a moment, before settling into his families' stance and said, "I will." Lee up in the stands frowned at his teammate's arrogance and rudeness, feeling slightly sorry for the young girl.

Narue's face seemed to tighten at his response and she nodded, stretching and loosening her muscles before falling into the stance her adoptive father taught her. Knees bent and feet wide apart, one arm pointed down behind her, the other held across her bent body hands clenched into small fists.

"Hajime."

Neji was fast, charging her and slipping into her defenses in what seemed to be with an easy effort. However, when he made to hit, she seemed to flow around his attack and kick him sharply in the ribs. The blow forced him back a pace, surprise etched into his cold features. Narue gave a small smile; still in the pose she had hit him.

Neji's face contorted in anger, and he rushed back in, his Byakugan blazing and his jyuuken stance perfect.

Again, Narue swerved around at the last instant, bending at an impossible degree and sweeping his feet out. Catching himself on his arms, he kicked his legs into her face, causing her to dodge back and dance away a couple meters. The two measured each other, until finally; Narue smirked (odd) for her. She brought her hands together and called out in a clear, ringing voice,

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

Four clones popped into existence and with a nod, she sent two to either side to circle the other. Neji set into a stance, smirking as he took in the clones from all sides with his 'all-seeing eye'.

"What are you thinking? There's no way for you to defeat me. My eyes can see every one of your clones, and which is the real one." He smirked arrogantly, looking directly at the real Narue. She only smiled before becoming a blur. She and her clones ran about in yellow blurs, the shin guards on her legs glowing an eerie gold, very close to her hair color.

While running, she and her clones called out, each with varying tones or volume intending to confuse him, "Tell me Neji, can you see me? Which one of me is real?" they all stopped suddenly, still in the circle around the Hyuuga.

Neji smirked again, rushing forward while crying out, "You can't fool me! This is the real one!" and proceeded to shove his chakra laced fingers into her stomach without a thought. Narue bent over, face contorted in pain and agony. Several people up in the stands stiffened, Shikamaru gripped the railing hard, being the only one of his team in their part of the stands.

A delighted giggled filled the air and the Narue Neji had hit burst into smoke, eliciting a shocked face from him. How had she tricked his eyes? HOW?

"Neji-kun! You better start to dodge!" Suddenly, there were a great deal more Narue's than four, and each had two handfuls of kunai. Using his awesome seeing and dodging skills, Neji bent and swerved and ducked incoming Kunai that the Narue's threw, becoming increasingly irritated at the same time.

"Enough of this foolishness. I will win, fate as decreed it so." Neji growled, slipping into a different stance. He zeroed in on the real Narue in the crowd, this time making sure he knew it was her. What he missed with his oh so powerful Byakugan, was Narue's suppressed smile. Charging, Neji sped up faster than he had been and got within Narue's guard again. This time however, she didn't have the time to get away and found herself under the attack of chakra induced finger prick jabs.

It hurt, god it hurt, but she needed this to happen for her plan to work out. Once Neji had sealed every one of hr tenketsu and was ready to jump away she shot out a hand and grabbed onto his jacket, pulling him close, using him to stand up straight.

"What are you doing you failure? You have lost, let go." Neji growled, ready to punch her in the face. Narue didn't answer; she was busy concentrating as hard as she could. There it was. Narue opened her eyes and clamped down harder with both hands on the boy smiling a surprisingly wicked smile.

"Night, night." She whispered and then unleashed all the control she had over her clone. It exploded in a massive explosion of chakra, not all of it blue. A mix of red and blue and purple slammed into Neji, burning him everywhere and sending him flying back with tremendous force. He smashed into the cement wall, huge spider web cracks stretching behind him. He hung there a moment, obviously out cold before falling with a horrible thump onto the ground.

Narue stood shakily, panting and staring with sad eyes as medics hurried over to Neji's comatose body. That had taken too much out of her, she was feeling lightheaded. Before she could fall forward onto the floor, Shikamaru was there, gently picking her up and teleporting her back to the stands.

"Good job Narue; great match." Shikamaru smiled at her, checking her over for any serious injuries. Her tenketsu were a bit stretched and hot, but that would heal in no time, there were small burns on her hands which he went about wrapping almost immediately.

"Where are Sasuke an' Kashi?" she asked sleepily, Shikamaru paused, hesitation written across his face.

"They had to take care of something, they're proud of you too." He settled on, brushing the hair back form her face. She nodded sleepily before dozing off in post match adrenaline.

"Narue, Narue wake up. The matches are over." Shikamaru was shaking her shoulder, speaking in a low voice. Narue grunted and sat up wearily, she was still stiff from the hyuuga's taijutsu style, but not as sore as a normal person might have been. Sometimes having a gigantic fox in your stomach came in handy.

Narue rubbed her face, brushing the hair that fell into it back. She gave a short smile to Shika before laboring to her feet, stretching up. Oh look, she was getting taller, the top of her head hit Shika's nose. Cool.

Shikamaru smiled and pulled her ponytail.

"Sabaku no Gaara." Narue sounded out the name of her opponent thoughtfully, tapping a finger on her lip, "You think I can beat 'im?" she asked her teammates.

Kakashi gave her an eye smile, somehow walking with his one eye buried in his book. Sasuke hummed and twitched his head, he was so aloof lately. It really bothered her, but after what happened with Orochimaru, maybe he just needed to be alone for a while.

Shika gave her a bored look, raising an eyebrow. She giggled and spun around him, nearly knocking him off his feet in the process. She jumped and clung to his back, causing him to stumble.

"I'm sure you'll be fine." He drawled, trying vainly to get his hair away from her prying fingers.

Narue laughed as she finally got his hair undone and then sunk her fingers into it. Ruffling it she tried to keep the smile on her face.

As she stared at the back of Shikamaru's head she thought she felt a cold hand on the back of her neck. Reaching back she only felt skin, but then a flash of an image in her mind made her flinch. Swallowing she pasted the childish smile on her face again, hopefully nobody noticed her flinch.

The sharingan loomed like a shadow in her mind, swirling and staring at her from an impassive face, a cold face.

Itachi's face.

ALRIGHT I HAVE TO END IT.

I can't figure out how to continue it, and I'm afraid it's the end of the road for Innocence.

My very first fanfiction and I have to give it up.

It is up for adoption, but as I have never given a fic up before, someone will have to tell me how.

BUT.

THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR FOLLOWING IT THIS FAR. I'M PROUD TO HAVE GIVEN YOU THESE CHAPTERS AND HOPE IT LIVES UP TO YOUR EXPECTATIONS. THANK YOU AND GOODBYE.


	23. Chapter 23

Ladies and Gentlemen, Innocence has been adopted. Tachi Kagahara has decided to try it on for size, so if you want to keep reading, they will be posting old and new chapters from here on out.

I thank you greatly for being with me on this journey; now please follow Tachi on hers.

You can find her profile link on mine.

Lots of love

-mayu


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